Happy Father's Day...

I had the secret ambition to hug my parents. Being the traditional Chinese family, showing affection for one another isn't quite our forte. Yes, being engulfed in such an environment, hugging became a goal in life, something that i imagined doing, something that i thought i want to do and crave doing but never did quite get down to doing it. (It is THAT HARD. Unimaginable.) Yet, this daunting task seems ludicrous considering how you serve out generous portions of hugs to friends.
Just when i thought i would need to carry my secret ambition to my grave, i thought it would be nice to give my dad a hug since it is Father's Day today. (Of course you don't need a reason to give a hug, but i must say having an official day to mark how much you appreciate your dad makes things a lot easier, as it legitimises things that you won't normally do.) The surprising thing is, he is so much more receptive to the hug than i thought he would be. Somehow, over the years, his strict, stern exterior, the one who put his belt to the maximum use (and i don't mean him having his belt around his waist 24/7), has slowly dissolved. Now, he feels more like a friend, someone whom you can share a joke or tease mercilessly.
The hug felt natural, just like how it should feel between a father and his daughter.
It reminded me of how my mum enthusiastically reciprocated the hug i gave her on Mother's Day.
Perhaps, in our family, i'm not the only one who harboured dreams of more affection.