I'm a hugger!

My cousin didn't really like to give hugs every single time she saw one of our friends in college. Really, this is a reasonable request...or phobia. She'd always say, "Rocks now, hugs later." It was the message that you save the hugs for a special time and then it means more. If you just hug everyone all the time, you become a hug whore. That's just how it goes.

I hope you're asking yourself if you're a hug whore. If you are, don't run from it. It's okay. Embrace it. Hug yourself.

Well, it is safe to say that my brother dated a lot of girls. I don't really know how seriously, but I just know that he was a nice guy and always landed nice girls. I always liked them. He'd bring them home, too. That fact alone is absurd and beyond my comprehension, but he'd bring them home for holidays and family gatherings and birthdays. It is almost comical to remember all the occasions. There is a picture of me and my family at my sorority initiation banquet (don't judge) and there is a random girl in it. There is a picture of me at my college graduation with a random girl in it (a different one). This particular girl was so sweet and I really liked her and she gave me really nice presents for graduation.

Not only did she give me presents for my graduation, but she gave me ANOTHER present a few days later when she was with our family for Christmas. That's for real, y'all. Looking back, I was trying to make friends with these girls that I thought could maybe possibly perhaps be part of our family one day. I have all sorts of walls up and don't really want to get close to random people. But I thought this one girl and I could be friends and I liked her so I let her 'in.'

Until my bro broke up with her a few days later.

Less than two months later, he wanted us to meet 'the new girl.' I remember that my dad and I had a conversation in which I said, "Well I'm not getting close to any more girls. I've been through too much. I will be pleasant and nice but I'm not getting close again. I don't want to get hurt."

As if I'm dating her.

My dad agreed on this line of logic. He didn't want to get close to some girl that my bro was just going to break up with. Poor girl. She didn't even know what was coming. But I knew what was coming.

The interesting part is that my dad already knew this girl...and her entire family. He knew her brothers and nephews and wonderful parents. My dad had known this girl for years attending college football games. He said she was "super." I was skeptical.

I met her at dinner with me, my mom, my dad, my cousin, my aunt, and my uncle. My mom and I were the only ones at the table she didn't know. No pressure or anything.

She was nice. I thought she was normal until she pulled out the UT baseball schedule from her purse.

I think I cried a little to myself.

We were saying goodbye in the parking lot and I completely planned to give her a handshake and follow my self-imposed rule of: Must meet someone no less than three times before full frontal contact.

She hugged my dad (again, she knew him). Then she hugged my mom. I stood my ground. I may have even stuck out my hand. Then it happened.

She hugged me. She's a hugger. It was yet to be determined if she was a hug-whore. But she definitely hugged me.

I got in the car to drive away and said to my parents, "CAN YOU BELIEVE SHE HUGGED ME? SHE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW ME!" I think I even threw in the line, "She doesn't know what I've been through. She doesn't know my hurt."

Two months after that, my bro said he was going to ask her to marry him. Less than a month after that, we were there when they got engaged. She became my SNL and she's a keeper. She's perfect for my brother and they are making me an aunt. Happy anniversary bro and SNL!

And guess what? My SNL turned me into a jumpy and squealy and giddy girl. I'm still not a hugger and try to stick to my rule. But for some people, you can bend the rules.