My Mom had this irritating habit of hugging us when we were mad at her.

She would come to our rooms and crawl into our beds (where we were busy sulking) and wrap her sturdy, freckled arms around us and squeeze.

She was like a love sucking leech we couldn't detach from.

Our brows would furrow further and we would, at first, attempt to ignore her.

That didn't faze her in the slightest.

Like a patient Boa Constrictor trapping its prey, she would merely wait.

After a while, when it became obvious she wasn't going anywhere, we would growl through clenched teeth, "Go Away."

To which she always responded, "Not until you hug me back."

And then she would wait some more.

At some point, it just becomes ridiculous to lie there sulking, while someone hugs you.  Even the most sullen 16 year loses that battle.

In the end, she always won, and with it, she taught us a valuable lesson.

There is a lot that can be fixed with one hug. Especially if it's a good one.