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~ Welcome to Heartwarmers ~
http://www.heartwarmers.com
The best thing to happen to mornings since the Sun!

Your morning thought for the day:
A hug is a handshake from the heart.


Sometimes a hug is all you need to make things right. Today,
Michael shares a story about a group of people who offer hugs -- free
of charge!
Is there a better deal on the planet than that?

____________________________________________

FREE HUGS
by Michael T. Smith

"Do you want a hug?" the young man asked Ginny.
He held a sign in his hand -- Free Hugs. I looked around.
There were other people with him. They held their handmade signs
high. The message was the same on all of them -- Free Hugs!
"Sure!" Ginny smiled and walked up to him. She reached up,
wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him down to her level, and
hugged him with all the love she had in her heart.
"WOW!" he exclaimed. "That was the best hug I've had all day!"
"I'm a hugger," Ginny smiled at him.
He looked at me. "How about a hug?"
"You got it!" I walked into his open arms. We held briefly and parted.
A young lady walked up and hugged Ginny. She turned to me,
opened her arms, and hugged me too.
Ginny and I stepped back and watched the "free huggers" work
their magic with those who accepted them. They offered hugs to
anyone and everyone.
* * * *
Juan Mann returned to Sydney, Australia in 2004, after living in
Europe for several years. He was depressed over his parent's
divorce. Most of his friends had moved on. It was just him. He sat
for months.
Alone and depressed, Juan decided to make a difference and reach
out. He made a sign that read, Free Hugs, and stood at the Pitt
Street Mall -- one of the busiest streets in the center of Sydney.
He put his arms anyone who accepted his offer.
At first, he left his wallet at home, had a friend watch over
him, and expected to be ridiculed. After fifteen minutes, a woman
approached him.
"My dog died today," she said. "It's also the first anniversary
of my only daughter's death. I could use a hug."
Juan was quoted as saying, "That first woman, it was more than a
hug. It meant something to her."
Others joined Mann. They opened their arms to others. His
message spread across the city. Afraid of lawsuits, officials banned
the free hug movement. But the people protested and more than 10,000
people signed a petition to allow him to continue his mission.
Shimon Moore, the lead singer of The Sick Puppies happened to
see Juan. They hugged and became friends. Moore borrowed a video
camera and filmed Juan giving hugs. When Mann's grandmother died,
Moore put the video together with his band's song called, All The
Same, and posted the video on YouTube with the following caption:
"Sometimes, a hug is all we need. Free hugs is a real life
controversial story of Juan Mann, a man whose sole purpose mission
was to reach out and hug a stranger, to brighten up their lives."
The video was a hit. It spread around the world. Juan has
appeared on Oprah and several other major television shows. His idea
continues to gain support and grow.
After his first day on Pitt Street, Juan wondered if others were
doing the same. He found Amma, The Hugging Saint of India. Jason
Hunter in Atlanta, Georgia, and Jayson Littman in New York.
Jayson started his hugging campaign the same year as Juan. They
both felt a need to reach out to humanity. A financial analyst in
Manhattan, Jayson believed New Yorkers could use a hug. From 2004 to
2006, he spent one weekend afternoon a month holding his Free Hugs
sign in his hands and opened his arms to anyone who needed human
comfort.
Since then, Jayson's mission has been taken over by others who
believe -- hugs for all.
On the last Saturday afternoon of the month, you'll find them
gathered in Union Square in Lower Manhattan. They hold their signs
high and offer their open arms to all who need a human touch.
* * * *
The huggers worked the crowd. Most people ignored them or shook
their heads to indicate they were not interested. Those who opened
their arms in return, walked away with a smile on their face.
I felt a warmth -- a glow -- fill my heart. Ginny and I were
going through rough times. Money was scarce, bill collectors called
on a regular basis. We were stressed and worried, but on that
afternoon, for a brief moment, it was all forgotten.
It took a simple hug to make everything better.

-- Michael T. Smith

____________________________________________
Michael lives in Fort Lee New Jersey with his wonderful wife Ginny.
He works as a project manager in the telecommunications industry
during the day. In his spare time, Michael writes stories for a
collection to be called, From My Heart to Yours. You can sign up to
get Michael's stories by clicking here:
http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1101828445578&p=oi

You can see Juan Mann and the song about him at YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O6vZTvQl4o

You can see a video on the New York City Free Hugs project here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD6o49Uqv10


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