Delicious.
How better to describe a child's kiss?
For it holds so much within it....
~innocence, at its purest;
~a tangible touch of Heaven, so raw, so real;
~a way of saying what words just fail to accurately express;
~an overflow of love, transferred from one heart to another;
~a simple, heartfelt 'thank you';
~a multitude of expressions and emotions, puckered into tiny rosebuds rolling softly across your own lips...
I live for these.
I am greedy and overindulgent for them.
I confess: not only will I insist on receiving these innumerable times on any given day, even as a bribe for what the Giver wants at that moment, but I will even sneak and...yes, even
steal them if my daily quota is low (according to me, and me alone), or when I am overcome with a surge of irresistible desire that can only be satiated by one... or two... no,
at least three of these kisses!
These
stolen kisses come in all shapes, sizes, and sounds...
~a tender peck upon a sleeping forehead, ever so carefully executed as not to disturb slumber;
~a loud and boisterous "Smooooo-ch!" shamelessly announcing my theft (and greedily hoping for more!);
~suddenly seized with an overwhelming urge, an impulsive kiss upon the unsuspecting crown of a precious little head;
~a reverent, almost-silent kiss upon a brow, when our surroundings call for quiet, but I simply cannot resist a tiny indulgence;
~itty bitty light brushes up and down the roly poly palette of arms;
~hand in hand, swinging along, sneaking the embraced hand up for a quick peck upon the upswing;
~a cozy nibble in the crook of a nestled neck, lingering awhile in the unique scent of that child as they rest and allow me this delight for but a moment;
~'counting kisses' across fingers and toes, and back again...
And, I know I am not the only one tempted by this addicting pleasure! For I have witnessed each of my children gazing at their sleeping baby sibling, unaware of my presence, and suddenly, so impulsively yet ever so tenderly, they bend down to plant a precious kiss upon him/her. For they, too, know there is no more perfect way to transfer their overflow of love that bubbles up inside their little hearts, than with that delicious little smooch.
Now these are just the
stolen kisses!
Let's not forget...
~the random "I love you, Mama!" kisses that somehow appear at the perfect, most needed times;
~kisses given on demand! Gotta love the satisfaction of that immediate gratification;
~kisses given after begging and pleading and bribing and finally (!) getting my way;
~the first kisses of the morning, greeting the new day, and immediately reminding me why I love this vocation of Motherhood so very much;
~wet, sloppy, dribbly, open-mouth "learning how to kiss" kisses from Baby;
~"mweh, mweh!" sounded kisses, not quite getting the puckered 'smooch', but endearingly 'almost there' kisses from the toddler;
~the ever-important requested and always-necessary 'booboo kisses', that somehow remedy oww-ies better than any medicine, ointment, or band-aids;
~the tender, sincere and intentional kisses from my older daughter, grateful for an evening spent alone together;
~the proud, sweaty, rushed kiss during a soccer game, running off the field to share an inspired moment with Mama, for no reason at all other than....they simply wanted to;
~the adoring kiss from my oldest son, accompanied by his famous compliment, "You're so beautiful, Mama" that he knows always melts my mushy heart, which will
never ever tire of receiving these;
~the 'copy-cat' kiss from the baby, mimicking the kisses he just watched brother/sister give Mama;
~the whimsical 'air kisses' smacked from afar and carried by the wind (the louder the 'smack', the better the imagined kiss!);
~tasty morsel 'snack kisses', nipping and munching from little earlobes to nose tips, delectable cheeks to squishy tummies- mmm! Called "
(insert child's name here) Sandwiches" in our house!
~the last kiss of the day from each child, upon tucking them each into bed with a blessing, bringing perfect completion to a busy, imperfect day.
And then it starts all over again, for many nights I cannot head to bed without first sneaking back to each bedside, securing each child with a heartfelt prayer, and sealing it with an 'Amen Kiss'.
Many feasts and desserts have I enjoyed and lavishly dined on in my lifetime, savoring the pleasurable- but temporal- sensation on my tongue.
But none come close to comparing to the lingering, loving, eternal pleasure
of a Child's Kiss.
Mmmm. Delicious.
XXXOOOXXXOOO
