HUGGIES

Friday I was visited by an old friend. Jack used to work for me and it had been over a year since we had seen each other. When he walked in my office he stuck out his hand for me to shake, but I said, “Come on now, we hug in this family.” We hugged like long lost brothers.

Hugging in the work place can be awkward, especially with people you see every day. It is nothing to hug that friend that you have not seen in a long time. In the Y business, so many of these people are like family so conferences are like family reunions. But how do you hug the person you see all the time? I have had a couple of female staff that worked for me for so long that hugs were second nature. On special occasions I would even receive a peck on the cheek.

I would have to catch myself though. The Corders have a bad habit, passed down from my grandfather Gaither Corder, of patting butts! Almost every time I hug April I give her a little tap on the derriere. I am so afraid that out of instinct I will do that unexpectedly to a board member. That will be a doozy to explain.

Hugs are the best part of work. When I was a program director, it was awesome to be in the grocery store and have some kid come up and hug you. Now, when I walk through Harris Teeter the hug may come from a little old lady! That is still awesome.

I have been in some pretty emotional meetings that when they ended, we have just hugged it out. Funerals, births of babies, graduations and just life crises all warrant the big bear hug.

I don’t want you to think that I am some creepy guy always lurking around corners ready to pounce on you. Often when I walk through the Y, I just give a hand slap, fist bump, pat on the back, punch in the arm and sometimes a hip check. Research shows, that a touch lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, creates trust and can even heal. That is not why I do it. I hug and pat and slap because I want to say I appreciate you and I like having you around!

So the next time you see me at the Harris Teeter, church, the Y or even out on the golf course, come up to me and say, “Hey, we hug in this family.” Maybe even a peck on the cheek would be nice!