"Mommy, You Gotta Kiss It"

This is what I hear from my three year old at least once a day. Any owie that occurs, big or small, requires a kiss to make it all better. Some are quick kisses and we are all better, others - ones that tend to leave a mark - seem to take several kisses plus some hugs before we are good to go. In order for the kiss to work it has to land on the exact spot that hurts. When it is a head injury that tends to be a little tricky because I am not always sure where exactly he bonked his head. I will end up kissing all over his head until he finally says "I'm okay". Some days he just seems to want extra love as he will say "Uh-oh I hurt again" and smile as I ask him where he needs his kiss. I've kissed his toes, knees, elbows, fingers, head (many times) and have been asked to kiss his butt and his tongue. These last two always make me laugh at which point he realizes it is funny and wants even more kisses.

As I look at my little boy who is the source of both continual joy and frustration, I wish I could always just kiss it and make him feel better. I love that he believes that I can ease his pain with a kiss but know that one day that will no longer work. I know he will have bigger hurts that can not be kissed away: friends who move away, the loss of a loved one, the pain of a broken heart. I know I can not protect him from life, from both the happiness and sadness it brings, nor do I want to. I want him to enjoy life and not be scared or worried about all the things that could go wrong. But when they do and he is hurting or sad I wish with all my heart that I would hear "Mommy, you gotta kiss it" and know that I could still make it all better with just a simple kiss.