And now, as the epilogue in this confession session, I have to mention that I once kissed a patient on the lips in the emergency room. True, she was about 90 years old. I cannot recall what was her presenting complaint, but the reason she was in the ER boiled down to one thing: she was lonely. Her husband passed away a few decades earlier, and her remaining family seemed indifferent. Sad. There was not anything medical that I could do for her, so we talked.

At some point during our conversation, I kissed her. I cannot give you any cerebral explanation for the kiss, because there was not any conscious thought behind it. It just seemed as natural as hugging a child with a boo-boo. To say that the kiss lifted her spirits is an understatement. Afterwards, she was smiling, cheerful, and content. She felt that someone cared, and I did. Some people are genuinely likeable, and that she was. I suppose I could have given her a prolix explanation that I cared, but somehow it would not have been the same.

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