As students, our days are defined as a sprint to the finish as we scramble to go to class, prep for exams, complete assignments, exercise, cook meals, and battle any other chaos our day throws at us, almost never having a second to spare. We have a tendency to disregard our inherent need to de-stress, even if it’s granting ourselves just 30 seconds to unwind.
Luckily, here at Queen’s University, we are blessed with an individual who provides us the opportunity to take that necessitating pause. This pause makes us forget about the stress of our day and instead lets us take a deep breath and break into a smile from the joy and comfort of Carly Robertson’s warm hug.
Carly, whom originates from Thunder Bay, came to Kingston 30 years ago with her father who came to accept a managerial position. She was born 4 months prematurely, which resulted in her being blind in her right eye and hard of hearing. Despite these struggles, Carly never fails to have a smile on her face, always radiating positivity.
3 years ago, inspired after seeing a video on social media, Carly started her “Free Hugs” campaign. Her interest stemmed when she began to observe the stress students exhibited during the school year, especially during exam season. Consequently, Carly’s journey began, and her calling to bring love and joy to the students of Queen’s University has since flourished.
Carly’s day encompasses teaching sign language, giving out free hugs, and praying for the students at Queen’s. She explains that she has a “Heart for Queen’s” and she wants to pray for our mental health so that we can all have happy, joyful lives. She wants us to love ourselves and one another. The hugs that she gives are intended to provide healing so that we can conquer our day and perhaps share this warmth and love with each other.
While the majority of people are attracted to Carly’s positive mission, there are others who avoid wanting a free hug. However, Carly’s resilience never ceases, as her perspective is not to succumb to discouragement, but rather show an even greater ambition to continue pursuing her calling because she knows (and, of course, I know) that those individuals are missing out.
Carly’s dream is to be able to travel to other campuses and spread love and joy to their students as well. Her Facebook group (Joyful Free Hugs Kingston) illustrates her mission and documents how she has accomplished her goal every day (be sure to check it out!).
Carly is a rarity. It is extraordinary to find people who are so self-inspired to do something that is both unconventional and indubitably moral. Her ambition is driven by her inherent need to spread love and joy to others, which, to say the least, is incredibly inspiring.
Hugger or not, if you are a student at Queen’s University or you are visiting, if you happen to run into Carly embrace the opportunity to give her a hug, because I guarantee your day will always turn around from her love and joy.
If you would like to support Carly and help her to continue spreading free hugs and positivity, please visit her GoFundMe page!