Kisses

It is interesting to me how physical affection differ from person to person and even from year to year with the same person as they grow and change themselves.
My dad grew up in a house of 7 boys (no sisters) and a mother that was less than huggie lovie in her displays of affection. I remember as a kid walking next to him and trying to hold his hand..It was as if he didn't know what to do with it and would either hold me by the wrist while my hand dangled lifelessly like a dead fish or tickle the palm of my hand with the tips of his fingers to avoid the impending gripping hold. I remember telling him to kiss my mom and having him say, "I do." to which I would respond "In public." We never questioned his love for us or for her, he just showed it in words and deeds; lots of "I love you's," love notes, poems, flowers, special times together, a thoughtful gift, brushing our hair, reading us stories.
As we grew up the barrier of physical affection began to melt away and he got more and more affectionate; holding hands, cheek kisses and lots of hugs. It has been fun to see the benefits of our years of wearing him down; as he shows both his old was of affection along with his newer adapted ones to his grand-kids. They get the stories, special times, love notes, hugs and cheek kisses all the time.

On the other hand my mom has always been a lip kisser...not only in childhood but even as we became adults. I am not sure if her kisses have evolved over time or if they have always been this way, but in later years I began to notice they were not your average kiss. They were full out fish kisses-sucked in cheeked, tight lipped fish kisses.As I have gotten older and had children of my own, we have had the discussion of what the perfect balance of affection is, and how it is displayed. My stand-you can never have too much...take what you can get, ask nicely for more, then give twice as much back. I am a juicy lip kisser. No cheeks aloud and don't you dare shrivel your lips to me as if I were a sour grape. As a result, my kids have, from birth, given the bestkisses. Soft lipped, sweet loving lip kisses that melt your heart-simply addicting.

I barter with those kisses as if my life depended on it.
Chase: "I watch a show?"
Mom: "Can I have a kiss?"
Chase giving a sweet kiss.
Mom: "Can I have five kisses?"
Chase happily gives more kisses as I count between each one until he reaches five.
Mom: "Can I have TEN kisses?"
Chase goes into crazy man kissing mode as fast as he can hand them out, to the tune of about 12 kisses.
Chase: "I give you a lot a lot of kisses. This many (holding up 5 fingers). Now I watch a show?"
Mom: "Thank you, I LOVE your kisses!"

Every once in a while (usually at bedtime and coincidentally after being around Grandma too much) he will try to sick a grandma kiss on me, which is always promptly rejected as if he kissed me with poison lips, resulting in penance of a mandatory 5 juicy kisses to make up for it.