Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Hug the World

Welcome to the planet Earth

It can seem quite sad and cold

Never fear there’s someone here

With a heart of shining gold

So let me tell you a story

One that started with a hug

And maybe by the end of it

You’ll do more than shrug

Our story starts in Australia

A truly sunburned land

With ever stretching coastlines

Of lovely, pure, white sand

Now let’s zoom in on Sydney

And a busy shopping mall

Where people seem so distant

Like they don’t care at all

At first he looks quite normal

No different from the throng

But as he stands with his arms raised

His message is loud and strong

FREE HUGS is all the sign says

The people laugh and point

Who is this man? They wonder

Will he hug or disappoint?

But still he stands, the sign held high

His message is clear as day

And then the people realise

He’s changing the world his way

Then someone comes up to him

Looking down and out

“I sure could use a hug he said.” He said

“If that’s what you’re about.”

Arms wide open he greets him

They hug and then they part

“Thanks mate I really needed that

From the bottom of my heart”

And so the quest continues

The quest to change a life

Of just a single person

Who is in a bit of strife

It seemed it wasn’t meant to be

Or so the council said

If this money isn’t paid

The hugs can’t go ahead

He didn’t have the money

As people rarely do

So he started a petition

So the council might review

Ten thousand people signed it

To show the world their love

For a man who really was

Someone to be proud of

FREE HUGS were allowed again

And the story quickly spread

Maybe we can hug the world

The happy people said

And so it went around the world

To countries large and small

FREE HUGS popped up everywhere

Not just in that Sydney mall

Who is this man you wonder

For he has not yet been named

I don’t know too much about him

Except his hugs are world acclaimed

His story’s quite inspiring

I must say I’m a fan

Of the man who hugged the world

The loveable, Juan Mann!

[Watch the Free Hugs Video!]