What the World Needs Now is Hugs, Sweet Hugs!

Something I've been thinking about lately is how I like hugs. I like giving them, and I definitely like getting them. Every day my little fifth grader with autism gives me a hug on his way out the door. Even if he's had a hard day where I've had to really push him to get his work done, he shows me he cares by giving me a big ol' bear hug.
Is it growing older that makes us less likely to hug each other? I look at teachers in the younger grades and they pretty much have to scrape little kids from the legs and waists with a spatula. Kids get older and they get less "huggy." Then you have the quite older kids who I feel have stopped hugging altogether. (In case you haven't figured it out, I'm talking about my own age group and older).
So I am hereby calling on all my peers to hug more often. A real hug can make someone's entire day go better. I am personally making a goal to hug more people. If you DON'T want a hug from me, you'll have to fend me off with some type of stick.
And as I tell my fifth graders, it doesn't mean you "love" someone, or you want to marry/date them. It simply a way of telling someone you care.
And if you pat my back when I hug you, I'll elbow you in the esophagus.