Hug And Move On

That is what New Zealanders are being told when saying their good-byes at the airport, according to an Associated Press article titled, “Hug it out, but make it quick. New Zealand airport sets time limit on goodbyes,”.

The article says, “Emotional farewells are a common sight at airports, but travelers leaving the New Zealand city of Dunedin will have to be quick. A new three-minute time limit on goodbye hugs in the airport’s drop-off area is intended to prevent lingering cuddles from causing traffic jams.”

“Max hug time three minutes,” warn signs outside the terminal, adding that those seeking “fonder farewells” should head to the airport’s parking lot instead. The cuddle limit was imposed in September to “keep things moving smoothly” in the redesigned passenger drop-off area outside the airport, CEO Dan De Bono told The Associated Press. It was the airport’s way of reminding people that the zone was for “quick farewells” only. “[It’s] plenty of time to pull up, say farewell to your loved ones and move on,” says De Bono. “The time limit is really a nicer way of saying, ‘You know, get on with it.’”

A 20-second hug is long enough to release the wellbeing-boosting hormones oxytocin and serotonin, De Bono said. Anything longer was “really awkward.” But passengers need not worry unduly about enforcement. “We do not have hug police.” Visitors might, however, be asked to move their lingering embraces to the parking lot, where they can cuddle free of charge for up to 15 minutes.

Hugs are huge expressions of relationship. At our home, especially when the kids and grandsons are around there are lots and lots of hugs! There is something about a hug that communicates love, they communicate care, they communicate value, they communicate security, and they communicate safety. It’s why hurting people like to be hugged, it’s why children when they are fearful like to be hugged, it’s why reunited friends like to be hugged. Hugs say something without words, and they remind us of the importance of relationships. We need hugs, and when they are appropriately given, they can be like medicine to the soul.

Hugs are often the parting gesture of seeing loved ones leave. They often accompany a “farewell”, but they also serve to remind us that farewells in the Bible and for the Christian are never final. They are moments of transition and the changing of a chapter but not the end of the journey. They bring reflection, blessings, and sacred memories that remind us of the goodness of God, the importance of relationships, and the never-ending presence of God in our lives.

Know anyone that needs a hug around you today? Be Faithful in 2025, and remember, God is always trying to take you someplace new. I love being your Pastor!

For God’s Glory Alone,
Pastor Ray

Image credit: Unsplash