THE WARMTH OF A KISS

A kiss is one of love’s purest expressions.

It arrives in many forms,
far beyond romance or intimacy.
Life gathers them quietly,
storing each one like a pressed flower
between the pages of memory.

I remember the kisses of loved ones
who have long since passed.
My grandfather’s came with a gentle pinch upon the cheek,
a small extra gesture of affection
that never failed to leave me smiling.

In my Italian family, kisses were exchanged on both cheeks, a greeting wrapped in warmth, and from my French relatives came an even more elaborate version—one kiss on a cheek, then the other, and then back again, repeated in a graceful rhythm of four kisses. It was never hurried. It felt like affection taking its time, a beautiful ritual of connection passed from generation to generation.

I remember the Eskimo kisses from my aunt,
little playful nudges of the nose,
lighthearted and tender,
the kind of affection that never fades from memory.

Yet the kisses I treasure most now
are the countless ones given to the babies in my life.

There is a sweetness to a newborn
that exists nowhere else on earth.
Their scent is its own kind of blessing.
I often thought perhaps God created it that way—
a fragrance gentle enough
to calm a restless child,
yet powerful enough
to comfort the one holding them.

And those tiny toes.

How grateful I was for all ten of them,
kissing each one again and again
as though they were treasures.
And they were.

Those little toes eventually disappeared
into boys’ sneakers,
yet somehow the kisses and hugs
became even more precious with time.

There were bedtime kisses
after favorite stories,
afterschool embraces,
moments so ordinary
they became unforgettable.

One remains as clear as a photograph.

A first grader spotted me waiting outside school
and came running with complete abandon,
launching himself into my arms.
The force of his love knocked us both backward,
and there we were,
lying flat upon the sidewalk,
laughing together beneath the sky.

The moment lasted only seconds.

The memory has lasted a lifetime.

That is the gift of a kiss.

It is never simply a touch.

It's a greeting,
a comfort,
a memory,

It is a blessing.

And long after the lips have parted,
the warmth remains.