One morning, I walked past the place where the Living Voltaire usually sits, and he wasn’t there. He is usually there in his spot, observing the neighborhood, greeting certain dogs, talking to certain people, dispensing small pieces of wisdom like loose change from a pocket.
But that morning, nothing. No Living Voltaire.
A hug is about as basic as it gets—two people, a pause, and a little warmth - but it’s quietly powerful. When we hug, our bodies release oxytocin, the bonding hormone that tells our nervous system, “You’re safe for a moment.” Cortisol, the stress hormone, drops. Heart rate and blood pressure can ease down. Shoulders relax. For a few seconds, the body steps out of “fight or flight” and back into “you’re okay.”
