We’re on a one word devotional for encouraging moms and our word for the week is “Embrace”.

1. To clasp or hold close with the arms, usually as an expression of affection.

2. a. To surround; enclose: We allowed the warm water to embrace us.
     b. To twine around: a trellis that was embraced by vines.

3. To include as part of something broader. See Synonyms at include.

4. To take up willingly or eagerly: embrace a social cause.

5. To avail oneself of: “I only regret, in my chilled age, certain occasions and possibilities I didn’t embrace” (Henry James).

“I wished she’d never stop squeezing me. I wished I could spend the rest of my life as a child, being slightly crushed by someone who loved me.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

As a mom of a three year old I am reminded daily how much our children want to be held. My eldest will often wake from a nap, look up at me and say, “You can hold me.”

I read recently that sometimes when a child behaves badly a comforting hug can often do more than scolding or punishment.  In my own experience I have found this to be true with my two little ones.  Just holding my three year old and talking to him in a soothing voice does more for the situation then getting upset with him.

A short video to encourage you in the word “Embrace.”

As an adult I find great comfort in receiving a hug from a friend or family member.  “Touch is so vital that therapist and author Virginia Satir stated that human beings need four hugs a day for survival, eight hugs a day for maintenance and 12 hugs a day for growth.”

Baby Kiss photo by “red floor” at stock.xchng