Diamonds vs. Kisses

Kiss … say the word out loud using many inflections. Or write the word on paper, over and over and over, and then really look at it. Does it do anything for you in that simple form? Does the word itself make every nerve in your body tingle? Unless you’re an extremely-erotic person, the simple execution of the word, written or spoken, probably finds you no more excited than use of the word, “tomato.”

What is it about a kiss, a real kiss, that leads little boys to steal them from little girls? Or causes big girls to dream about receiving them from big boys? Why are kisses so important—at work and at play? All around the world?

The “lip-to-lip” kiss is probably the most socially-acceptable intimacy in present times. Depending on how it’s performed, the lip-to-lip kiss can either leave you unmoved, maybe moved as far as across the street or, if you’re really lucky, it might send you sailing all the way around the world. At least twice.

Rarely does anyone want to hear about that kiss which takes you no farther than the curb. It was pleasant. Ho hum. It may have had more merit than the consumption of asparagus. Maybe. Period. End of discussion.

But, oh, the kiss that takes you, the armchair traveler, to exotic places and makes you feel as if you’re standing inside an overcrowded pin cushion—that’s a kiss that screams for widescale recognition.

I’ve heard it said that on Valentine’s Day, a man should give a diamond, or multiple diamonds, to his favorite lady. What is his beloved to offer him in return?

A kiss.

That’s all. Yes, that’s all … a kiss. Is this really fair? As far as I’m concerned, if that’s what a lady is to present to a man who has just presented her with a diamond, it better be a lip-to-lip kiss whose memory will not only keep him well-heated on a cold night. He should be able to run his tongue over and around, and use the remains of his lady’s unique taste in vivid recollection for no less than a week’s worth of leftovers. He’s definitely entitled to enough lasting electricity to illuminate the National Christmas tree in downtown Washington, DC, on verbal command. And without question, he should receive a free, VIP visit to the hospital emergency room to discover why his ears will not stop ringing.

A kiss should always mean more than the simple meeting of two pair of lips. It should be the very cornerstone of a relationship. Whether you are kissing your mother, or the most visually-pleasing specimen of humanity you have ever seen—granted, methods should be VERY different—still, the touch of your lips should be your distinctive calling card. If you kiss with your heart, you will never be forgotten.

People are often asked if they remember their first kiss. Why would such a question be posed if it weren’t something that has been seriously contemplated for centuries? Why is a kiss eagerly accepted as a gift worth giving?

Maybe it’s time that we liberate ourselves as women and, at the same time, reclaim the feminity that the women’s movement has managed to bury. In other words, let’s kiss for freedom. That’s not to suggest we should kiss everyone we meet. Noooo, no, no, no. That would cheapen the act.

Kiss only the people who are truly important to you.

Really, really kiss your soulmate.

Kiss with a sincere smile.

And when you kiss the people so precious to you, allow your technique to reflect your very soul.

So, the next time you greet your mother with a kiss, or receive a diamond from a special gentleman … whether it’s Valentine’s Day or the day after tomorrow, pucker up, ladies, and show the stuff you’re made of!