A Kiss to Keep

I spent approximately one half of my childhood at my best friend's house.  As a result, her parents became my bonus set of parents and I also got to call one of her grandmothers "Grandma Alice."

Grandma Alice was everything you would want a grandmother to be; she had a bright laugh, a comfortable lap, candies in her purse, a indomitable humanitarian spirit, strong biceps, and an endless supply of hilarious expressions and anecdotes that would keep us happy for hours.

Whenever Grandma Alice was about to go home after a visit, her suitcases already loaded in the car, she would put on fresh lipstick, and give each of us "a kiss to keep" on the palm of our hands.  Over the course of the afternoon, the lipstick would fade.  We would carefully examine and compare our hands to see if we still had the traces of her kisses.

Goodbye, dear Alice.  Thank you for your sweet kisses.