How to Hug on Facebook

August 18, 2010 4:22 PM

How can I hug my friend on Facebook?

A precious and dear friend lost her husband almost a month ago. My thing has become sending her daily hugs on Facebook (and , of course, meetings in person and phone calls and skype calls and text messages etc) as love and support... on her wall. I just don't want her to feel empty and forgotten... other than the normal grief. I want to remind her daily, for as long as I can sustain it, that she is in my thoughts.

She has a fabulous sense of humour and I'd like to send her hugs in different formats on Facebook. So far I've completely lacked imagination.

I've written things like: (don't laugh) "Huggery Buggery Bum" "Huggery Boo" "Huge Hug, Kisse Kiss"...

Can any of you come up with some interesting or amusing sentences or paragraphs with hugs as a central theme? ...with the idea that I'm sending a daily hug to a grief-stricken widow. Thanks so much clever folk.

posted by taff to writing & language (18 answers total)

Out of left field: could you hug online from a smartphone, then ring her doorbell and hug her in person?
posted by mdonley at 4:24 PM on August 18, 2010

"I will not play at tug o'war.
I'd rather play at hug o'war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins."

- Shel Silverstein
posted by Houstonian at 4:53 PM on August 18, 2010 [17 favorites]

You could start hugging her in different languages?
posted by HFSH at 5:21 PM on August 18, 2010

You could post pictures?
posted by ttyn at 5:50 PM on August 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

(((((((her name)))))))
posted by Solon and Thanks at 6:03 PM on August 18, 2010

I like to use the expression "hugs and chickens."
posted by Sukey Says at 6:13 PM on August 18, 2010

Take a picture of yourself hugging a stuffed animal and send it to her. Pick a new stuffed animal every day. Take the pictures in weird places (steps of the courthouse, in the grocery store, on a hike, etc). Tag her as the hugged object. (:
posted by Heretical at 6:51 PM on August 18, 2010 [19 favorites]

^ Wow, I really like that.
posted by jabberjaw at 7:07 PM on August 18, 2010

"huggy kissy, love ya, mean it" For some reason, when you say this out loud in a sing-song voice, it sounds cute. Learned from my daughter when she was a young teenager.
posted by raisingsand at 7:16 PM on August 18, 2010 [2 favorites]

Post some hugs tiem lolcats or make your own!
posted by clavicle at 7:39 PM on August 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

You are a good friend. :-)
posted by ethnomethodologist at 7:39 PM on August 18, 2010

yeah, I don't have much to add, but good on you. MeFi hugs to you.
posted by sweetkid at 9:00 PM on August 18, 2010 [2 favorites]

There's a Facebook application called Buddy Poke that has different kinds of hugs and other activities via animated avatars. It's super cutesy and your friend would have to join it too, but I have friends who really like it.
posted by clearlydemon at 9:48 PM on August 18, 2010

Thank you so much for everything so far. I'd love any more suggestions you can come up with. The poem and the photographs really appeal to me. And thank you for the hugs.... aren't hugs the best thing in the world? Hugs back to you too possums. It's hard to watch someone you love lose the other half of their heart.

I'll be back to mark favourites in the morning. It's late here in Australia-land.
posted by taff at 5:20 AM on August 19, 2010

You could reuse tired old chants and cheers, if she would find it amusing. I don't know what the Australian equivalents would be, but in the US we tend to use these formats over and over and games and on protest marches:

Give you an H!
Give you a U!
Give you a G!
What's that spell?

What do we want? To give you a hug!
When do we want it? Now!
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:23 AM on August 19, 2010

How about snail mail? We -- or at least I -- tend to forget it exists nowadays. In addition to what you're doing on Facebook, you could send her a real, hand-written letter. Handwriting is more of a link to the actual person than typed characters on a screen. Also, it takes more effort. If someone who usually communicates via a keyboard (e.g. me) takes the time to write out a note or letter, it must mean they care. Speaking of care, how about care packages? Just little surprises that now and then arrive at her door.

In her shoes, I would love the "hugs," but I would also want to hear about you. I wouldn't want all the focus to be on me and my needs -- though I would really appreciate the attention. Also show her you care by doing all the usual friend stuff. Ask her opinion on movies; tell her about your bad day at work; etc. You're probably already doing that, but I thought I'd mention it.
posted by grumblebee at 8:39 AM on August 19, 2010

Find youtube videos that make you laugh (or you know would make her laugh). Send her links.
posted by Alabaster at 3:55 PM on August 19, 2010

I love you, a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck...
posted by fiercecupcake at 10:09 AM on August 20, 2010 [1 favorite]