“A Little Hug Goes a Long Way”

“What a time to be living in and growing up as a child here in South Africa and perhaps all over the world.

I remember growing up in a time where one thing we always had with us was a safe and secure environment to spend our days in.

I do not remember having to stay inside and lock ourselves indoors and have sleepless nights being on the lookout for invaders and violent acts bringing terror into our homes in from the darkness.

I always envisioned a different Life raising our children through the simplicity of Life like going for an afternoon walk in the neighborhood with our family and our dogs or riding our bicycles and having endless fun until the sun goes down…

…but as the days go by even those simplicities are traumatically being stripped away from us daily. We are not remotely safe even in the daylight. We are left to constantly look behind our shoulder to see if there is a need to get to safety.

We have been left in a position where the walls of our home are the furthest we can go to, to experience Life.

I find myself in a place now where the value of being hugged just a little longer gives me the strength to go on a little while longer and stronger. If I, as an adult find the need to reach out for that comfort, imagine how our children and elderly feel right now. Their need to feel loved and safe is dire now more than ever.

We cannot undo what has been destroyed but we can eventually rebuild or try to…

We cannot get back to the exact point of happiness we once felt but we can rebuild from within and find new happiness in new and different ways…

…but We Can take a little while longer to hold onto our loved ones, our Children, our Parents and Grandparents…

…To share a precious moment with…

…To encourage and support one another…

And to show love and care to each other to gain the strength that will essentially make us more emotionally stronger to attain the resilience we need to get through our trying times.

A Little Hug Goes A Long Way, today, tomorrow and always.

Be, Feel and Stay Safe, Always.” – Aarti #thetravellingthought #thetravellingthoughtsupportshealthyliving