Affectionate greetings from ladies who are like mothers

Question:
My mother has various female friends, muslim and non-muslim, who have been like close family since I was a child. Everytime I would see them, they would greet me with a hug and a kiss. Now that have deeper faith, I wish to know the extent I can greet these women, keeping in mind that they have been like mothers to me my entire life.

[Note: this question was posted by a male questioner]

Response:
I would suggest that you don't take the initiative of coming close to these ladies yourself, but once they do so on their own, don't stop them physically. Try to adopt a way that gives them an indication that you don't feel quite comfortable any more with these gestures of affection. I do agree that it makes one uncomfortable when any such thing happens through ladies you otherwise respect, but it is a matter that cannot be termed as prohibited so long as it doesn't create negative feelings within you. However, the very fact that there is a possibility that one's emotions can get stirred, such gestures should ideally be avoided. What I am suggesting is that you should avoid such things carefully so as not to hurt the feelings of others.

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