. . . kissing

 Early in our dating lives we had a conversation about kissing and it showed the different perspectives in physical contact that we shared then and that continues now.

I thought of kissing as a right of passage. Proof of a relationship. A check box that a relationship was moving along. A "base" (in the lingo of the time).

My husband thought of kissing as the best thing ever. No outside context or meaning, just amazing in and of itself.

It took 27 years for me to catch on.

Last year I read this book called Cherish that opened my eyes to the need for me to be more affectionate in our marriage. We had the duty, commitment, etc. down to a science, but, honestly, it wasn't much fun any more. Oh, I looked forward to date nights and time alone together, but it seemed so required. Kinda bland. Maybe a little too "settled in."

I didn't just want the "til death do us part;" I wanted the "love and cherish" part to characterize our marriage.

But how?

It started with a kiss.

I read a blog post somewhere in my searching for answers, something about a kissing experiment.

Could it really make a difference? Well, let me tell you . . .