A Mother Welcomes "One More Hug"

Though Megan Alexander has interviewed celebrities ranging from Garth Brooks to Candace Cameron Bure in her job as correspondent for the news magazine show Inside Edition, her thoughts are never far from her three beautiful children. That motherly love inspired her first-ever children's book, One More Hug, which we are recognizing with a Christopher Award.

One More Hug is a delightful and meaningful book for children, ages 4 to 8, that will touch their parent's hearts as well. It was inspired by Megan's oldest son, who is now eight. During a Christopher Closeup interview, she explained, "When he went to Kindergarten and first got on the bus, he had some anxiety and he would run back to me for one more hug. . . . He was the last child to get on the bus. Just as the doors were closing, he'd look back at me and smile and wave, but look a little nervous. And this has been our thing, where he asked me for 'one more hug, Mama.' He just needs that extra reassurance. And my husband and I started saying it's our little phrase with him. There's always time for one more hug."

The book follows a boy from infancy through his departure for college, and readers witness the difference that unconditional love can make in a child's life. Megan believes the story is especially important for boys who are often taught by our culture to keep their emotions bottled up. She said, "We want to create a safe place for [boys] where they can . . . always share their feelings as they get older. [The story] is a journey, not just of a mother and a son at a young age, but [a reminder to] our little ones that as they get older, they can always run back for one more hug."

Megan's parental compassion, wisdom, and Christian faith come in part from the example set by her own parents. Her father worked as a financial advisor and always treated the security guard in his building with the same respect and friendliness that he treated the CEO. And her mom taught her to keep an eye out in school for people who might feel left out.

"My mom told me once when I was lonely in elementary school, 'Go sit on the bench by yourself. This is an opportunity to meet new friends,'" Megan recalled. "That was such great advice that I've taken with me, whether it's attending corporate gatherings by myself, not being afraid to introduce myself to someone when I'm the new kid on the block. In the broadcasting world, you have to move around a lot because you move from market to market when you're starting out. [Had it not been for Mom's advice], I don't think I would have had the confidence to show up by myself, and I would've missed out on so many neat friendships with different people. So I think God can use us when we allow ourselves to be available to Him and seek out new friendships and new people."

God has been a part of Megan's life from the beginning, but she decided to claim her faith for herself when she was in middle school. That's when she asked herself, "Okay, I've been raised this way, but what do I believe? Do I believe in Jesus Christ myself? Am I going to really go have that personal relationship?" Her answer was "Yes." She continues to make God a part of her life every day.

This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column written by Tony Rossi, Director of Communications, The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.

Background information:

The Christophers