Life can be a mess. It comes with stress and frustration and sadness and heartache and worry. It's easy to get bogged down in all that and let it overrun your mind. There are various ways to get out of such a funk, many of which include some form of sugar, but they don't always work. There's only one thing for me that never fails to make me feel better. A hug. Not just a little hug, but a long, tight hug. There are studies that show that pressure (a good, physical kind) can relieve stress. Hugs are healthy! When I am miserable, the one thing I really want is someone who will just hold me tight, for as long as I need. Even though nothing else in my circumstances has changed, I feel so much more able to tackle it all post-hug. Maybe it's the feeling of someone caring for me, despite everything else. Maybe it's the warmth of friendship. Maybe it's just the act of being touched so nicely. But a good hug will always give me a good pick-me-up. (The best h...