Guest Blogger Post #30 is the last in what has been a most amazing Month of LOVE series. I think Yankee Doodle Paddy is still humming from all the phenomenal and varied love stories.  Tomorrow I will post a debrief of this whole experience and include links to all the love stories (and the music I used in the Snapchat reveals) on one page.  However right now it is our last (but not least) author’s turn.   Eimear is truly one of the nicest ladies in the world. I feel lucky I was able to not only meet her in person but spend nearly the whole day with her and her sweet daughter. I am sure it won’t be the last time we are together. We hit it off from the first time we messaged each other on Snapchat and when you read this story you too will see how lovely she is!

Simple Magic!

While there are many things I love in the world and lots of other things I’d love to have, the ones I love the most are so simple, so easy and to me just magic!  A simple hug and holding hands to me are the simplest things that someone can do and yet the feeling it can bring you is pure magic.

When it comes to hugs, I’ve shared many but for me, my mum, was the best hug giver I knew. No matter what I had done, everything ended with one of her great hugs which I was always so grateful for. While I’d feel guilty for what I did wrong, her hugs made me feel so loved and I knew no matter what, my mum was always there for me.

When my mum fell ill in 2006 and as her cancer progressed, ours hugs were less as she was so frail. Each time I would see her in hospital, all I ever wanted to do was to run up to her and give her a big hug and it was so hard to refrain as she was so delicate. With her passing a few months later, it was something I knew I’d never feel again or so I thought.

Today, as someone who loves to hug, I feel very blessed to have my wonderful husband and two great children who I can share my hugs with. I’II let you in on a little secret too….while my mum had the most amazing arms of love my children’s small arms as they’re wrapped around me are just pure perfection. I can’t help but feel that while my mum was never lucky enough to meet my children, she’s passed on a great trait to them and for as long as I can I will enjoy their little arms as they hold me close and I never want them to let me go.

Another great feeling as I mentioned is holding hands and I remember when I watched the film Sleepless in Seattle there was a scene where Meg Ryan’s character was with her mother and she was trying on her mother’s wedding dress. She asked her mother how she knew her dad was the one and her mother told her the story of when they first held hands and it was magic! Watching that scene, I remember thinking one day, I’d love to know and feel that magic.

Magic clip

Fast forward to 2004! I remember the first night myself and my husband were out on an “unofficial date” he walked me home with his father. Yes, his dad, both our dads were with us as we were out hence the unofficial date!! As we were walking back we were helping a poor old man who seemed to be lost and I remember at one moment my husband held my hand and there it was ….MAGIC! I couldn’t believe it and yet it was all so perfect. While we didn’t know each other long, we knew and 14 years later, 9 years of marriage, two beautiful children and our little dog Monty, when he holds my hand the feeling is still there, if not better as it is stronger with our little family.

Many times since, holding hands has brought back many wonderful memories, like the day my father walked me up the aisle trying to console me as all I could do was cry as I was so happy to be marrying my best friend.

Memories such as when I held our children’s hands for the first time when they were born and knowing how they captured my heart in their hands forever. Even today as they are a little older we still hold hands many times each day and to me it is always so special. There will be a day when maybe they won’t want to hold my hand as often but I know each day that they do, is a precious moment.

These are just a handful of memories that hugs and holding hands have given me and I treasure them all each day. So remember, each time you hug or hold hands of that special person in your life you are creating wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.

Thank you so much Eimear for sharing that beautiful LOVE story. I can relate because I am a hugger too! I think that when we feel love we are transported to a special place that is well, heavenly. Whether it is through a hug or holding hands, as you shared, it is a loving safe place that we could imagine heaven would be like. I hope you continue to get many more hugs for years to come. And best of luck with your new creation, Darcy the Dingo No doubt Darcy is a great hugger, though likely only able to hold a paw!

Hands, Hugs and LOVE,

YDP