Kiss Me Again, Nana!

It was bedtime and Nana was babysitting while Mom & Dad were on a date. Good for Nana, good for Mom & Dad. We’d done the jammies-on-thing, the snack-thing, the be-sure-to-brush your-teeth-thing, the story-thing. Now it was time for bedtime prayer and the Nana’s-kissing-you-goodnight-thing. Lukie decided it was also time for the you-kiss-me-I-wipe-it-off-thing.

My girls and I used to play this same game when they were little. I gave them a big smooch, they made an exaggerated swipe at wherever Mom’s buss landed and it was on! “You know what happens if you wipe my kiss off,” I would playfully warn. The response? Giggles. Wiping off of kisses and more giggling, with an expectant look of, “You’re going to kiss me again, right? Aren’t you? I hope you are!” And I did. Repeatedly! An “I love you, you love me, God gave us this family” satisfying demonstration of affection and belonging at its best.

It was no different with my grandsons than it used to be with my daughters, with the laughing and kissing and maybe even a couple tickles thrown in for good measure (except maybe, with boys being boys the “wiping off” was stronger, the bravado about “you can’t kiss me” a bit more decided!). So delightful, even if I was risking getting them all riled up when they should be settling down.

After the initial onslaught the 4 year old squealed, “Kiss me again, Nana!” The almost 8 year old was on the top bunk, playing hard to get and succeeding, but at the last minute he threw down his hand and had me kiss it, whereupon he placed it on his own little smiling lips. Ahhh, grandmotherly bliss. And that’s why I’m a part-time Montananana.

Kisses are hard to give and get from 1300 miles away. There’s email, there’s the phone and, at the moment, the US Postal Service is still in business, albeit a somewhat more pokey form of communication than it used to be. (Of course, you also never know how long this game is going to be “allowed” since little boys seem to have this tendency to grow up and all.) But none of those other methods allow for quite the same heart-hug as an in-person, “I’m gonna get you,” wet smackaroo on a chubby cheek, followed by a small hand (getting bigger way too quickly but for now still inviting) reaching down for a goodnight kiss. Then there’s especially that little voice, “Kiss me again, Nana.” Oh, honey, I will. For as long as you’ll let me, I will.

Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.