A Secret to Success This New Year: Become Committed and Resilient

Mom and son celebrating the new year in the Bahamas in 2025! "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." – Confucius Greetings from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ! Things have been busy. I am still a working mom of three , working full time who is trying to make a difference. I do a lot of things and try to be present so that I can learn from them. I share them on this blog so that we can learn together. Below are some thoughts, hacks, and/or lessons that I have learned from navigating my world. 2025 was intense. I faced a convergence of pressures: the stress of navigating life as a single mom while paying considerable  alimony ,  an intensifying family situation since we lost my beloved aunt, my dad, and my cousin’s mom—work related stress—learning a new job after an imposed job change, all while navigating the rapid pace of raising my kids and trying to maintain a standard of living for them with fewer resources. Together, these factor...

Sometimes a kiss is just a kiss...



I had an interesting conversation about kissing awhile ago. My date believed that kisses on the lips should be restricted to lovers. He was a little shocked when I told him that on occasion I kiss some of my male friends on the lips. He assumed that my relationships with these friends must be more than friendly. However, he was wrong.

To be clear, I don’t kiss all of my male friends this way, only those with whom I am very close. And, I don’t kiss them on the mouth all of the time. However, on occasion, my dearest friends and I have exchanged a kiss on the mouth and/or held hands.

We have never confused these gestures with romance because we recognize that there is a difference between what we do and what lovers do. Our friendship kisses are endearing rather than enticing. They are pecks without tongue or titillation. Simply put, they are sweet and innocent.

My date objected to my behavior. While I heard his objections, it is unlikely that I will change my practices. In a world where there’s heartache, violence and war, I am a fan of all expressions of affection. Besides, sometimes a kiss is just a kiss.
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Comments

Nuno Cabeçadas said…
I do hope you don't change yur behavior, regardless of what you hear. I agree with you and thankfully I'm reading it from somebody I admire.

Kisses :)