This morning I went to church, nothing out of the ordinary, I do that every Sunday, and it's the same thing everytime. Every week as I'm leaving the sanctuary, the same little old lady gives me a big giant hug, and every week I find this hug to be a little peculiar. I've known this lady for years, but seldom do we talk, the only contact I make with her is this weekly hug. During the hug today, I began to question why this lady is embracing me.

I first met her when she taught my third and fourth grade Sunday school class. I was her favorite student because I had perfect attendance and always brought my bible, she thanked me for my efforts by giving me small gifts like coloring books, pencils, and one week I was so good she gave me a beanie baby. I was always shy in class so I rarely participated in class discussions, and when the rest of the class would leave, I'd stay and ask her questions about faith and life in general. Through these little conversations I learned that Santa Clause doesn't exist and that Jesus was in fact Jewish. These topics were pretty serious and heavy for my young and hopeful mind and I always found it hard to trust her after she ruined my juvenile dreams, but she continued to talk to me, telling me her favorite bible scriptures and sharing stories of her own life. She had been divorced countless times because the husbands she had emotionally or physically abused her. Her determination to be free from domestic abuse made her become one of my heroes, but once I got too old to be in her Sunday school class, I never got to hear anymore of her stories.

When I graduated from her class, all I got was this weekly hug. Her stories faded from my mind and I forgot the meaning behind why this lady who seems so foreign to my life was wrapping her arms around me. She kisses my face and tells me she's proud of me, and I never understood why. I gave the woman the company she was looking for, and in return she's given me inspiration. During the week, I never think about her, but after thinking about her so intensively today, I think she will definitely show up a lot more in my thoughts and prayers, and next week when when she hugs me I will hug her tighter than I ever have before. It's haunting and yet a pleasure to know when you're feeling lonely or like there's no one to trust that there's someone out there who loves you that you never think twice about, whether is a family member, a pet, a friend or even the little old lady who sits in the pew behind you at church, there's always someone who's subtle compassion lets you know they care.