Dear Eric: We recently went to a nearby town to visit my mother. While we were there, Mom’s friend Helen came to visit us. We have already met Helen and know that she loves cuddles. My daughter Missy, aged 16, in order to avoid the inevitable hug, positioned herself on the other side of the dining room table but Helen, not to deny it, walked around the table with her arms outstretched. Missy, at our suggestion, reached out for a handshake, but Helen moved to brush her arm away. Missy took a step back and said, “I don’t like cuddling.” At this point I intervened to redirect the conversation and the issue of cuddling was dropped.
Gn tech
