“Mom, you’ll never guess what just happened!” she exclaims as she hops into the front seat, and I can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia that she’s now old enough to ride shotgun.
“What is it?” I ask, absentmindedly turning the key in the ignition.
“I had my first kiss!”
Wait, what?
Sure, she’s nearly 13 now—just like I was when I experienced my first kiss. I remember it vividly, how it took place in the dimly lit basement while our favorite tunes blared from a clunky old boom box. We rolled across the cool, gray concrete, laughing and racing back and forth. I plopped down on a rug, breathless, and when he sat beside me, our knees brushed together. My heart raced as he leaned in, and then—bam!—his lips were on mine. It was a chaotic moment that left me exhilarated, yet a bit queasy.
I kept that moment to myself, not even sharing it with my best friend for a whole week. I was torn between feeling thrilled and embarrassed. Was I now one of those seventh-grade girls who kissed all the time? Did I need to ditch my Lip Smackers for something more sophisticated? I had so much to unravel, but I cherished that secret, letting it linger in my heart where I could relive the excitement privately.
My daughter, however, is wired differently. Before I can offer my thoughts, she’s busy tapping away on her phone, probably sending out a group text to share the news with her friends. Why keep it to just one person when she could broadcast it to the digital world? I want to tell her to hold onto this experience a bit longer, to savor the emotions, but I recognize our shared urge to connect in real-time.
This desire for connection among peers isn’t a new phenomenon, especially during the teenage years. Yet, not everything needs to be shared—not with countless online friends, not even with a close buddy, and certainly not with me right away. I hope my daughter understands that there’s beauty in keeping some memories close, allowing herself to fully experience the sweetness, surprise, and even awkwardness of her first kiss without the noise of outside opinions. She should own those moments before unfolding them to the world, both online and offline. Once shared, those stories can’t be taken back.
I glance over at her, her long, chestnut hair cascading over one shoulder, her face illuminated by her phone screen.
“Wow, your first kiss is kind of a big deal,” I say, attempting to keep the conversation flowing.
“Yeah,” she nods, a shy smile appearing on her face.
I want to dive deeper, asking for every juicy detail: was it a peck or something more? Was it someone special or just a casual acquaintance? But instead, I shift the car into reverse. “Just know I’m always here if you want to chat about anything,” I say, hoping she feels the openness.
“Yeah, I know, Mom,” she replies, casting a final glance at her screen before shutting it off and gazing out at the darkening sky.
We drive home in a comfortable silence, both lost in our own thoughts and the unspoken stories we carry within us.
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Summary:
In a touching narrative, a mother reflects on her daughter’s first kiss, drawing parallels to her own experience at the same age. While she hopes her daughter will savor the moment privately before sharing it with the world, she also acknowledges their shared desire for connection through technology. The story emphasizes the importance of cherishing personal experiences and understanding that not everything needs to be broadcasted immediately.