just before the first kiss. Now don't get me wrong. Everything that follows is pretty awesome, too. And the physical aspect of any relationship is only part of the overall. But that moment before the first kiss is the biggest non-verbal compliment you will ever get. The anticipation, the rush of adrenaline as you both move in, is nothing short of high voltage electricity. It says you like each other enough to do something that is extremely intimate. In fact, far more intimate than we ever acknowledge. It is the precursor to everything. We may not remember everyone we date, but we surely can recall everyone we kissed.

They say that the initial taste of any meal is actually deceptive. It thrills the taste buds so much that the memory of it keeps us eating, even though the subsequent bites aren't nearly as pleasing. That is an apt metaphor for the first kiss. You may never experience the same powerful energy that built up to that amazing moment. But you may spend weeks, months or a lifetime trying to get it back.

As relationships progress, we try to hang on to the magic that started it all. The memory of the initial courtship doesn't fade, but the routine of couplehood starts to kick in. Sometimes we talk about taking things for granted, getting it back. Sometimes we break up, then get back together some months later and benefit from the fire of rekindling. But love is actually comfortable. It is the act of knowing, trusting, giving.It is everything that follows the opening salvo.

As Sam sang in my favorite film, Casablanca, "a kiss is just a kiss." Maybe some day, we can have a song about the deeper meaning of all the kisses that follow.