Kisses when you least expect them…

I’d received a few pieces of mail a solid week or so ago but hadn’t opened the card I THOUGHT was from my Aunt Mary Lou because she’s a bit of a prankster…and more than once, I’d been hit by a windup flying butterfly in the face upon opening an envelope OR spilled a crap load of sparkly sequinned things all over the front seat of my car.

So, instead, I tucked the card neatly on the side of my seat to bring in with me later on…but then promptly forgot it existed.

Today, on my arrival home from the airport and with tears still stinging my eyes…holding them back desperately until I’d had my daughter’s boyfriend dropped home…knowing I wouldn’t see The Tall Blonde for six months as she headed back to France for her final semester of teaching…the longest we’ve EVER been apart…I headed into the house, but not before seeing the mail by the side of my seat and bringing it in with me.

I let the tears flow…just for a minute…sentiment taking over as my dog curled next to me…trying to comfort me while nothing could really quite come close to making me feel better.

I shook it off…tried to make myself busy…poured a cup of tea and opened the long-forgotten card.

Which turned out…was exactly what I needed.

It took a moment to realize the card wasn’t from my Aunt but her daughter in-law who shares the same last name…the faces on the photo before me immediately took my tears away.

My two little cousins…with Hershey’s Kisses hats on their heads.

When we were young…kisses would arrive from time to time unexpectedly. When visiting Newfoundland or if visiting us in Halifax, my Pop would sometimes place them on my pillow…he’d sometimes send a package of kisses out of the blue with a note and a five dollar bill. I recall one time, him giving me a few with a new pair of earrings when I’d had a falling out with friend. Many, if not all of us at one point or another, had been on the receiving end of Poppy’s kisses.

When he passed away, I placed two inside his jacket pocket at the funeral home. Because…well…it just felt like the right thing to do.

Today…I received the most wonderful kisses just when I needed them. Sweet Seth and Benjamin…thank you for sending a little love and a HUGE pick-me up when I was feeling down.

Pop would be proud.

To all the mommas out there like my cousin Shayln…mom of these two precious boys…give your kids a few extra kisses and squeezes…they grow up way too fast and there’ll come the time when you find you’re letting go more than you’re holding on.

To The Tall Blonde…have a wonderful few months full of adventure…I send you these two kisses…along with many, many more! xx