Do you need a hug?

A friend sent me this a while back. I have no idea who wrote it, but I read it every time I just need a hug. Imagine getting a hug from Jesus Christ Himself. Wow!

I read about how you touched them, and they were healed.
Or even if someone just touched your cloak, they were forever changed.
You let a broken woman bathe your feet in her tears,
And you washed your best friend’s feet.
I’m just wondering though, did you ever just hug people?
I mean, I know it’s a silly question and all; I’m sure you would have,
(why wouldn’t you have?)
But it was one of those things that was never mentioned
And it got me thinking about it.
And how if there ever was a touch from you,
Sins were forgiven and sickness fell.
I think I’m caught up with my sins,
And last time I checked all my body-parts were properly working…
Nothing special here.
I’m just a kid with a heavy heart in these passing sunrises and sunsets.
I don’t think that our encounter would’ve ended up
In your gospels or anything,
‘Cause all I really need is a hug. I mean that’s O.K. to imagine right?
That’s not going to be conflicting with any sort of theology, is it?
O.K. good, then hug me.
But not one of these sideways-“one arm around the neck”-type hugs,
Or the “ghetto right handclasp fist elbows to chest pat-pat on the back-back”,
Or the “you put your right arm over my right arm
And I put my left arm over your left arm”
And we make this weird sort of diagonal thing.
No…none of those. BEAR HUG ME MAN!
Take your old school carpenter arms and throw them around my upper body, Leaving my arms dangling underneath yours somewhere,
And I can barely move them ‘cause you’re squeezing me so hard.
(But don’t pick me up and make my back pop
Because I hate it when people do that.)
And hold me; hold me here in your arms till I start to cry—
CAUSE I WANT TO CRY!
But I just can’t seem to do it on my own.
I’ve been teary-eyed once recently, but not even enough
For a drip down my cheek.
There’s just hurt in my soul that needs to be purged,
So hold me in this hugging pose
Until the pain is flowing from my eyes and nose.


Update: Since I posted this, I have learned the author is Bradley Hathaway.