I’ll never forget the day my husband Russ was nearly swept off his feet, and it wasn’t by me! I enjoyed being a spectator, though. And still chuckle mightily as I think of that day. You see, Russ has never been one for public displays of affection, and for that matter, isn’t much for hugging anyone other than me. But he realizes the importance of showing he cares for others, so he’s loosened up over the years and learned the art of the side hug. He also has a sizeable amount of personal space surrounding him like an invisible box. I appreciate that about him—it means he’s always on guard against anything that might be misconstrued as inappropriate physical behavior.
But then that day came—the day he was almost swept off his feet. Russ was already in an uncomfortable situation—attending a writers’ conference with me for the first time. I had been on faculty there several years, so it was like old home week for me. Not so with Russ. He was out of his element. We parked the car and before we even made it to the check-in desk, I found a carload of women I knew. We exchanged hugs. One of the gals is a true sister-friend to me, and our tight embrace represented the affection we carry in our hearts for each other. She broke away from our hug and ran to greet Russ—the first time they met each other. Robin had prayed for us so often she felt as if she knew him. I’m convinced at that moment, Robin could have been a star football player. She locked eyes on the target, ran with fierce energy his way, and almost plowed him over as she hugged him.
The look on Russ’ face was priceless. Shock. Who was this strange woman and what was she doing? What had he gotten himself into? Robin and I both realized his level of discomfort. At the same moment, as she let go of her death-grip on him, I explained to him that this was Robin, my sweet friend who had been praying for us during our difficult year. Then all was okay once again, and we made our way to check in. That wasn’t the only embrace of the conference