I received, and gave, my 13th hug since February. And it was with someone I just met, so who knows. That’s a baker’s dozen, my friends. Not only is it double digits, but every one of them further reminds me of how connected we are meant to be… we are not islands as the self-help movement sometimes depicts we ‘should’ be, that we can only help ourselves. Consider one of my favorite quotes, said by a soul who supposedly doesn’t need outside sources of happinesses….

“We human beings are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others’ actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others’ activities. For this reason, it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.”

—Dalai Lama

I can not wait for the next hug. Keep yourselves, and each other, well and warm.