Foolish Youth

Foolish Youth

Noel Laflin

12-5-18

I really struggled with the idea of when to give up a good night kiss to my father. I must have been around ten or so.

But it eventually happened as I felt it was not manly to continue on with the evening ritual, although I never stopped pecking my mother’s cheek each night.

My dad and I never discussed it. I wonder if he was hurt or relieved at the time. Wish I had thought to ask him in later life when I once again took up the practice of kissing him goodbye or goodnight.

But by then, he was an old man – mid eighties I suppose. I kept it up till his dying day – trying to make up for all of those lost years of foolish youthful pride.