I don't remember a lot of hugs growing up. Somewhere along the way after we were grown, we became huggers. We hug upon meeting and say ,"I love you" and we hug upon parting and say, "I love you." You can never say I love you too often. Who knows, you may never get a chance to say it to a loved one again.
I am a hugger! I love hugs and love giving them to others. I am careful as I know many that feel this is an invasion of personal space. It wasn't in my family growing up other than hugging Grandparents when I was young. I have no idea why I like the exchange of hugging, but I do. One of my friend's husbands doesn't like hugging anyone generously, but me when arriving at their formal parties. He does it, but haphazardly, even to those, he has known much longer than I. I asked her why this was and she said because I wear his favorite perfume, the same one she does. At their last party, I didn't wear my favorite perfume. I was amused that I got nothing more than a lame attempt at a hug. I try to avoid one lady that is a heavy drinker because she smells like garlic and tries to camouflage it with gag awful perfume. I love to hug, but some people aren't hugging material. Ha ha!
Like you @Shirley Martin hugs were in short supply growing up for me too. They certainly didnt hand them out at my boarding school .. rather the cane instead for the most petty misconduct. My wife or son have never been huggers. In fact I pretty much turned them and my brother into huggers. I said to them if you dont hug at the same time as a greeting then dont bother with the greeting.
There were and are hugs on both sides of the families for Johnny and me. As I look back on my childhood I received a lot of hugs and I think it was because I was the smallest of the grandchildren with the exception of infants, and I was very shy and quiet.
I'm not a hugger but do allow some to hug me rather than give them the stiff arm. I think sometime, maybe often, it is overdone but I think I understand, yet, on few occasions, I myself, have yearned for a hug.
@Bill Boggs - agree, it can be overdone, I've had a few 'bear hugs' and I mean clenched - a long time too