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MOCHA MUSINGS On the importance of kissing Comment By Susanne Severeid DailyTidings.com By Susanne Severeid Posted Feb. 2, 2015 at 4:54 PM Updated Feb 2, 2015 at 4:55 PM By Susanne Severeid Posted Feb. 2, 2015 at 4:54 PM Updated Feb 2, 2015 at 4:55 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Ringing in the new year • With a little help from my friends • The haiku of a chance meeting » Social News She feels the soft summer breeze. The city lights light up the nighttime sky. There are sounds of traffic, a car horn honking off in the distance. A rooftop terrace in Paris; waiters gliding past with trays of white wine. Stars are overhead, but she doesn't see them. Her eyes are closed. Her soft cheek presses against the stubble of his beard, his hands caress the back of her head, their kisses creating a magnetic field between their lips. Pure magic.  I set down my pen (yes, a pen) from my writing and look around the coffee shop, crowded and buzzing with energy on this weekday morning. All this writing has gotten me thinking about Valentine’s Day. Not about overpriced, sappy cards (though those can be nice, depending on who they're from). Not even about rich, dark chocolate (one of a girl’s best friends). No, what crosses my mind right now is The Importance Of Kissing. You know, the kind of drop-dead kisses that you remember for the rest of your life; that make you feel alive in a way that only that kind of kiss can. The kiss you keep locked in your heart for all time. Kisses that dance with the colors of the prism of life, not the rain that formed the drops. Kisses that make you feel safe, or sexy or loved.  Who among us does not have memories of kisses that bring a smile to our lips, long after warm summer breezes have been replaced by the chill winds of winter? And if you don’t, then you’d better get busy, for tempus fugit. Daily we fret and struggle. We pay bills, we gain and lose weight. We look in the mirror and wonder what happened. We sweat in the gym, get our kids through school. We worry about the future, we mourn for the past. But, in a kiss, we can forget all of that and love ourself, and maybe someone else, too, in the moment. For to swim in a lingering kiss is one of the great joys in life. Kissing — good kissing — makes the heart race, makes us smile, gives us love. Kisses help us heal. They make us happy, they’re sexy, they let us show we care. And look at the other benefits, too. They’re free. And they don’t clog up landfills or waste resources. Think of it as a renewable energy. And there are absolutely no age restrictions, either. So, if on this Valentine’s Day you’re lucky enough to have someone to kiss, and who wants to kiss you, then, I say, do it with gusto and passion and create those kinds of memories I’m talking about. Open your heart and let the juices flow. And if, as the Stephen Stills song says, “You can’t be with the one you love,” then at least blow a kiss to a friend, or give your dog a smooch on the top of the head, or close your eyes and go back to the memory of a really sweet or funny or tender or gentle kiss and let it fill you up with a sense of love and well-being. Let it allow you to be a little kinder, to share a little love, and to love yourself even with your flaws. Kiss well. Kiss often. And be kind to the heart that kisses you. And, remember, on this upcoming Valentine’s Day, that kisses can be even better than chocolate. Well … no, wait a minute. That one I might have to think about. Award-winning author, TV presenter and world traveler Susanne Severeid is an Ashland resident who enjoys making time for the important things in life — including mocha. For more, go to www.susannesevereid.com. Email her at [email protected]. By Susanne Severeid DailyTidings.com By Susanne Severeid Posted Feb. 2, 2015 at 4:54 PM Updated Feb 2, 2015 at 4:55 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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