OMG

I have the most amazing friends and I get to hug them so tight EVERY DAY - I cannot even imagine how I ever lived without it. Well, hell, I wasn't LIVING!

LOVE TO ALL

IMHO, hugging is the most therapeutic action that can be performed on another creature and transcends words beyond belief.

A friend of mine, in her late twenties, miscarried early in her term and was completely devastated. I've always had trouble dealing with this kind of emotional trauma because any words said, unless one has intimate experience with the sublect, would sound empty and could even cause more damage that good.
So I let the people around her, mostly women, do most of the healing. I never said a word to her, not even to say good morning; she was truly in another world.
This went on for three days and I could see that she was still carrying a huge weight behind her and I felt her sorrow.
Then, late one night, I stumbled upon her and we came face-to-face and just embraced. We hugged for about a minute and when she tried to pull away I pulled her back.
At that point she just started to cry and I felt this wave of emotion pour from her. Her boyfriend was standing a few feet away watching this and I pulled him in with us. He immediately started to cry as well. I can't tell you how long the three of us stood there clutching each other; time took a vacation. When we finally parted, I left and never said a word.
From that point on there was a noticeable change in her outlook. It wasn't exactly a cure, but I know the hug helped smooth the way.