#hugsonhugs

[jorgemerlos]

One of Integrity Home Finance’s first clients 2005, all the way from Richmond, CA stopping by to visit. I’ve done several loans for this awesome client Dolleen and she’s always been 100% loyal. She lives 400 miles away and we finally have an opportunity to meet- Mike Berrios #HugsOnHugs #integrityhomefinance #Repost @_integrityhomefinance ・・・ (at Integrity Home Finance) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Nf8Yul5jH/?igshid=1l45p75jqkrwv

[childrensliteratureworld-blog]

One final goodbye? Or maybe not.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia is a compelling novel that tells the story of three sisters, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern in the late 60s. These sisters go on a trip to Oakland to meet their long lost mother and not everything goes as planned. The sisters find both themselves and their mother in their crazy summer.

There were many passages that stuck out to me while I was reading this book but none stuck to me as hard as the very last page. On page 215 in the very last paragraph: “We weren’t about to leave Oakland without getting what we’d come for. It only took Fern to know we needed a hug from our mother.” This passage stuck with me because the girls had had a very tumultuous relationship with their mother and I found their growth incredibly moving. The girls went from a sort of hatred towards their mother to a love or need to be with her. This passage left me with a lot of questions. I kept wondering if the girls would ever see their mother again. Did the hug mean more than just a hug?

This passage confused me more than anything. I was confused because I didn’t know how they went from mutual distaste to love but then I remembered that they are kids. One of the only things they really needed/wanted was their mom growing up. This last passage is everything they could have asked for. The mother finally called Fern by her name and Fern realized what they all needed: a hug.

A hug can symbolize a lot of things. It can symbolize love, friendship, apologies, hello, goodbye and much more. This hug conveyed more than just love, I think it conveyed I’m sorry and a goodbye to the girls. I’m not sure if the girls will ever see their mother again but I do know that they finally have their answer and that was that their mother did love them.

This book made my heart hurt for the girls but the ending helped to satisfy my need to have the girls understand that their mother leaving was not their fault. The girls needed this summer so that they can move on with fewer questions on their hearts.

One Crazy Summer [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-crazy-summer-rita-williams-garcia/1100247530 Williams-Garcia, R. (2012). One Crazy Summer. New York, NY: Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Kelsey Boone (“Blog Post #13.7: One Crazy Summer”) 30 April 2017

[karilyn-owens]

Anyone who knows me well understands that I'm a huge proponent of the 20 second hug. An embrace this long releases oxytocin, the bonding hormone. It's not vital that you hug someone for 20 seconds, but hug like you mean it. Love like you have nothing to lose. And always let others know they are cared for with your loving embrace. On this Christmas Day, I am beyond blessed to be surrounded by so much love. My wish is that you all feel infinite love this holiday season. #20secondhug #merrychristmas #hugsonhugs #holidaywish @kimberly_mairin

[karilyn-owens]

Anyone who knows me well understands that I'm a huge proponent of the 20 second hug. An embrace this long releases oxytocin, the bonding hormone. It's not vital that you hug someone for exactly 20 seconds, but hug like you mean it. Love like you have nothing to lose. And always let others know they are cared for by your loving embrace. On this Christmas Day, I am beyond blessed to be surrounded by so much love. I pray you all feel infinite love this holiday season. #20secondhug #merrychristmas #hugsonhugs @kimberly_mairin