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Love and Hugs

This past Sunday, Dominic came up to me while I was sitting in the family room and said for the first time, "mommy, I love you!" followed by a hug.  It took everything in me not to start crying like a baby :)   Sure, he's been giving me tons of kisses lately, but him telling me he loved me, spontaneously, without me prompting him was a MAJOR milestone. Some parents of children with autism wait a lifetime to hear those words, some never hear those words.  I feel blessed I only had to wait eight years :)  I remember a friend of mine telling me that she had to "teach" her autistic daughter to hug.  Wow, Dominic for a long time has been a pretty affectionate type of guy.  I consider myself lucky that he does like to hug and kiss.  I think my heart would break in half  if he didn't want me to hug or kiss him. Dominic is still small enough to sit on my lap and cuddle. I know that won't last forever, and believe me, I am savoring every moment of those "cuddle" moments (just like I did when Lauren was little).  When I first met my stepson, he would snuggle on my lap - he's way too big to do that now - he'll be 29 in January!!  We only see my stepson once or twice a year, he's a busy guy with his own career.  When he does come to visit, the first thing he gets from me is a hug and the last thing I give him when he leaves is a hug.  We say, "I love you" and dispense hugs a lot in our house.  Earlier this week, I ran into a  friend of mine that I hadn't seen in a while and we greeted each other with a hug :)  Most people shake hands, I hug!  If I know you, you're getting a hug!  Very few if any people have ever backed away from me.  The power of physical touch is amazing.  When my mother-in-law spent two weeks in the hospital and then was moved to hospice, I would hold her hand.  She was very ill and couldn't squeeze my hand back, but she knew I was there.  She has only been gone less than two years, but I miss those hugs with her.


 Tell those special people in your life how much you love them and give them a hug.  It's a win-win!!

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Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 17, 2012 at 11:59 AM

    Hugs back to you and your family. What a wonderful article. Love, Auntie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cathy B.August 21, 2012 at 9:21 PM

    Thanks - next time I see you, you'll be getting a HUGE hug!!

    ReplyDelete

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