Three Little Kisses

For as long as I can remember, my parents had a daily ritual before Dad went to work and again every evening when he came home. They gave each other three little kisses, which was one way of saying “I love you”.

We noticed other expressions of love that included the way Dad always treated Mom with gentleness and respect. From his example we learned to treat her with respect. We watched as he sought her opinion and listened to her advice.

Mom showed her love and devotion to her husband and our father in subtle ways such as never disparaging him, supporting him as he worked long hours for meager pay, stretching the budget beyond what was expected of most wives and mothers, and by encouraging him as he devoted long hours of volunteer service to their church. Together they provided an anchor for each other based on their foundation of commitment and love. From this anchor the family reaped untold blessings.

We witnessed these “three little kisses” frequently and felt their love for one another. In fact, as Mom was close to leaving us, Dad leaned over the railing of her hospital bed and asked for a kiss. She opened her eyes long enough to give him “three little kisses!”

Three little kisses is a tradition that several of Mom and Dad’s kids with their partners have adopted.

Simple little traditions such as this can provide many fond and happy memories creating important anchors in the future lives and relationships of our children.