hugs

have you ever been hugged so tightly and so sincerely that it caught you off guard? one of those hugs where you felt like you were truly needed and that the other person was going to melt into you? that happened to me the other day by the mother of a dear patient of mine. a mother i have known for years as i have known, cared for and been a friend to her son for many years of his cancer journey. this hug happened the week we were saying goodbye to him. she whispered in my ear the most sincere “thank you” and reminded me that her son “loved having me as his nurse” and that this situation was “so hard.” i didn’t even have the words to respond but i grasped her tightly and i was just still. i allowed that hug to last as long as she needed it to. it was a profound moment for me. my tendency is to fix situations or to try and take pain away or to say something to make others feel better but in this moment, it was right to just be there and accept the affection. it was a gift.