I started this practice with my son, when he was old enough to walk out the door by himself and head down to the busstop to get himself to school, where he would come give me a hug before he walked out the door. This usually meant that he would wake me, as I am a writer, and I often stay up late at night doing what I do. The other day, my son was at his mother's, for the night, but he dropped by my place to grab something, and then he left without hugging me. Now, that is probably the first time, in either of our lifetimes, that that has occurred. I don't care if he is now 18 and all grown up; I am going to fight for my hugs, until he is gone off to Chicago for art school, in the fall. And even then, I'm probably go to fly up there, a bunch, just so that I can hug this young man who I love so much. Families that hug together, stay together.