Kiss

The sound of Louis Armstrong's raspy voice singing "A kiss is just a kiss..." is on repeat in my head...but before you dismiss this, I want to wrap up love month with the notion he also croons in the next line:  "...the fundamental things apply..."


There's nothing more fundamental than a kiss from your SO.  I'm not talking about a peck on your cheek - too many couples have that routine down pat.  It's dry.  And while it can be a reassuring millisecond gesture, does it really move the intimacy meter to the satisfying end of the spectrum?


Kiss every day, the 20-second kind of kiss. Do it three times per day.


One famous marriage counselor is so convinced of this best practice that he gives couples in distress, on their first visit, a gift and a homework assignment:  after handing them a bag of Hershey's kisses, he instructs them to follow the 3x/day 20-second prescription until their next counseling visit.  He tells them that they burn enough calories in those 3 daily kisses to reward themselves (if further reward is even needed) to a Hershey's kiss each night.  And in the process, maybe, just maybe, their future counseling sessions will be refocused, or fizzle.


Study after study verifies that this healthy kissing habit is good for you and that couples are not doing this enough (20% of couples report kissing less than once per week).  Aside from the very real possibility that you might jumpstart a much-needed reconnection, your cholesterol and stress levels decrease, and your chances of marital survival - and passionate living - are profoundly improved.


xoxo