What Is a Kiss?

LuLu had another problem. She came to me and said, "Ethel Frances, you are such a good big sister and a good teacher. When I came to you with my drool problem you helped me and now I can drool, too. I have another question now. What is a kiss?"

"What is a kiss?" I repeated. She nodded her head and continued. "Mommy calls me to come up on the sofa to sit with her. I love to do that. I sit right next to her and she hugs me and pats me and scratches my back. I love when she does that and I can feel how much she loves me and I lean against her to show her how much I love her. Then she leans forward until her face is practically touching my lips and she says, "Give me a kiss, LuLu." Then she makes a weird sound with her lips on my cheek and she asks for a kiss again and I don't know what to do. So Ethel Frances, can you please tell me what a kiss is?"

Poor LuLu. I had to put my head down so she wouldn't see me laugh. I didn't want to hurt her feelings, but now I understand what has been taking place on that sofa. Here is my side of the story. Mommy loves us and she shows us all the time. Izzy and I love to kiss Mommy and we kiss her until she has to wipe her face dry.

LuLu doesn't do that and I didn't know until today that the reason is she doesn't know what a kiss is. I see her get on the sofa with Mommy and Mommy puts her face up to LuLu. LuLu just sits there staring into Mommy's eyes as if to say, "Now what?" Mommy gives LuLu lots of Mommy kisses, which are different than doggie kisses, and those kisses do make weird sounds. "Give me a kiss, LuLu. Please. Don't you love me, LuLu? Come on. Just give me one little kiss. Please." And LuLu just keeps staring. "Oh, LuLu. Never mind. I love you anyway."

I feel bad for Mommy because I can tell that she is sad that LuLu won't kiss her so I either have to teach LuLu how to kiss, or explain to Mommy that LuLu wants to kiss her but doesn't know how. I decided to start with teaching LuLu.

"LuLu, honey, I think I can help you. I really think I can teach you how to kiss, just like I taught you how to drool. OK?" LuLu smiled and nodded her head and suddenly the answer to LuLu's kissing popped right into my head! "LuLu," I said excitedly, "Get me a spoon out of the sink, please. You are taller and it's easier for you, OK?" She gave me the spoon and I said, "LuLu, pretend there is peanut butter on that spoon. What would you do if Mommy held out a spoonful of peanut butter to you?" LuLu stuck her tongue out and licked the spoon.

"That's it, LuLu! That is exactly how dogs kiss. When Mommy kisses she makes weird noises with her lips on our faces but when dogs kiss, they just lick. Do you understand, LuLu? Do you want to try it out on my face before Mommy's?" LuLu leaned forward and gave me a big "kiss" all the way up the side of my head. Then she did the same thing to the other side. And she kept on practicing until my face was all wet. We both started laughing and laughing and suddenly we heard Mommy at the door. "LuLu, do you want to surprise Mommy with a kiss?" She didn't answer.

Mommy opened the door and said, like she always does, "Girls, Mommy's home! Did you miss me? I missed you!" We went running to Mommy like we always do only this time LuLu got there first. She jumped up on her hind legs, put her paws on Mommy's shoulders, and leaned in and gave Mommy a big, wet, sloppy kiss! "LuLu," Mommy squealed. "You kissed me! You really kissed me for the first time in all of these years. You made me so happy. Thank you, LuLu!" Mommy gave LuLu lots of her kind of kisses and a big hug and when Mommy came to greet me, LuLu gave me a big smile and we both started laughing again.

Mommy didn't know why we were so happy but she started laughing, too. Who would have thought that teaching a dog what a kiss is would be so funny and would make everyone in our house so happy!