While pushing my granddaughter on a swing in her backyard, singing songs and telling  each other silly jokes, seemingly from out of nowhere, she asked:” Have you ever kissed me?”  What a smart girl, I thought. The truth was that I hadn’t.  When she was very small, I made a conscious decision based on my own childhood annoyance with intrusive grown-ups who would kiss me and cuddle me without my consent, that  I never wanted her think of me in that way. So I decided to wait for a signal from her  that it was okay for me to give her a kiss—- And  now here it was. Without any further discussion, I kissed her on the top of her head and we continued singing and making silly jokes.  Since that day, I have always given her a kiss her on the head whenever we say good-bye  for the day;  and more often than not, she gives me a little, sweet, heart-warming smile in response.