FREE HUGGER

 

 

You'd notice Betty if you walked into the gym where I work out. And not just because she gives free hugs. She's the one with the completely color-coordinated outfits from head to toe. If she's got a gold sweater on (yes, she works out in fabulous cable knit sweaters), she'll have matching shoes and socks. She's also a big fan of Betty Boop so on any given day she may be wearing a top and socks with that iconic character on them.  Let's put it this way-Betty pulls it all together when she comes to the gym.

But it's the hugs I like the best. I'm not sure when they started.  Maybe it was after Betty lost her husband a few years back. Maybe she needed the touch of another human to help her through that loss. But the sequence goes like this: once you walk in the gym, Betty will get off whatever weight machine she's on and stroll over to give you a big hug. When I say big, I mean big. These are full-on, close-to- bear hugs. The woman can hug.

I'm sure my blood pressure lowers, my cortisol levels stabilize and my heart soars every time I get a hug from Betty. She should sell them. That's how good she is. I'm beginning to discover that maybe I need them just as much as she does. Whatever it is, her hugs are good medicine and while I don't remember when they started,I know I never want them to stop.