Dear Health Canada,
After an abundance of traveling this year, I have found myself thinking that what Canada, on a national scale, lacks the most is warmth. Sounds obvious, but hear me out; this goes deeper than just the temperature and seasons. We really don’t seem to show warmth in our body language either. But, why?
Personal space is understandable from time to time, but when it’s so cold outside, we need to learn from the penguin families and come together. Lots of cultures (and species) practice hugging and kissing as greetings – I desperately find myself wanting to be adopted into these.
I’m talking about real hugs, none of the side-shoulder, forced stuff – chest to chest, necks intertwined like long lost puzzle pieces, eyes closed, hands empty yet so full of our subject, and doing that small nudge they do in the movies with their cheek when people cuddle with soft blankets… ya, that one. And maybe throwing in a pat or two on the back is always a nice cherry on top.
Now you’re probably wondering: Zahra, how do you know it’s a good hug? Well, this is the experiment: master it. The way to know you’re huggable is to have a loonie (better yet a dime) balanced between your bodies at any point above your waists.
Just like drinking 8 glasses of water a day to keep your physical health in check, I think there should be a section in Canada’s Food Guide for “8 hugs a day”.
Here are some motivations to get you to amend our national Food Guide:
- Your subject’s good smells rub off on you;
I find myself hugging someone a little longer when they smell like a rose on a mountain top valley just gave birth to them. Now who doesn’t want to smell like a sacred rose? - It’s a free massage and a stretch;
We follow the Guide and try to get an hour of exercise every day, now it’s time to stretch and cool down but we have no energy to. Getting someone to hug you tight enough can get you all stretched out. - Hugging is a stress reliever;
When life gives you stress: hug. I don’t think hugging will do our 2500 word paper for us but, yenno, a distraction from reality is cool too. - It’s warmer and cheaper than coffee;
Winter is about to hit full force so don’t spend your summer savings on a new jacket or a copious amount of coffee, find a hug buddy and keep the heat between you. - Hugging teaches you karma: we learn to give and take;
This is the stuff they don’t teach in school: Karma is a b*tch so it’s important to practice give and take. Hugging is exactly that; you learn that you gotta give some to get some in return – in all aspects of life. - Increases oxytocin levels (less lonely) and decreases serotonin levels (more happy);
If science is saying it, then why are we not hugging???
I hope this new form of law transcribing through blogging is acceptable now that we have a cool new Prime Minister. Thank you for your time and consideration of this proposal.
A concerned and cold citizen,
Zahra Khozema
