Lean In

"What we all have in common is an appreciation of kindness and compassion; all the religions have this. We all lean towards love. " -Richard Gere

We all lean towards love. Maybe that's why Maeve has been leaning in for the kiss.

I have always been a superfluous smoocher.  I kiss Maeve's cheeks, head, hands, toes, the back of her neck, and wherever else I can find her yummy skin, because that is a Momma's job and they ain't paying me to sit on my hands.  Well, they ain't paying me at all, but if they did, it would be by the smooch and the kind word.  


But lately, she has stopped objecting so much.  Not that it ever bothered me, toddlers are squirmy and they're supposed to pretend not to like mommy smooches, it's in the handbook.  I have noticed, however, a lack of reticence in the kiss department lately.  Which is fine with me.


We played a game last night where I puckered up my lips and made a MMMMM sound, and she would lean in and let me kiss her nose or cheek, then giggle.  This is a good game; we played for as long as she was interested, a few minutes.  Then she wanted me to kiss her Rainbow Brite dolly, and then her again, then she kissed the dolly, and we just had ourselves a little Mommy-Maevie-Dolly love-fest.  I wish I had a picture!


Maeve has always been a leaner, she likes to lean up against her favorite people and just relax, and I like that in a girl.  But her leaning in for my kisses is making a wonderful, warm, happy spot in my heart, a sunbeam from a window that lights the whole place up like Christmas.

Exploring together