My wife comes from a family of huggers and kissers. Whenever members of her family greet one another, it usually is with a hug and a kiss.

I come from a family that is as about as far to the other extreme as you can get. While there is no doubt in my mind that we love one another, one would never know it from the way we act. We are not a touchy/feely family.

I learned the differences between our families the first time I met my wife’s family. I was living in Tennessee at the time and my wife and I had only recently gotten engaged. My wife and soon-to-be stepson had driven to her hometown of Lincoln, Neb., and, a few days later, I flew from Nashville to Lincoln for her parents’ 40th wedding anniversary.

Since my father-in-law had multiple sclerosis and was not expected to live for another decade, her parents decided to celebrate their 40th anniversary the way most people celebrate their golden anniversary. (As it turned out, my father-in-law lived to celebrate his 60th anniversary with his wife, but we didn’t know that at the time. As his doctors often told members of his family, Papa was a real fighter who defied the odds.)

As I stepped off the plane in Lincoln, I was greeted by my future mother-in-law, who I had never met, with a big hug and a wet kiss. I admit that I was surprised by the kiss, but when my wife’s sister also greeted me with a warm hug and kiss, I was downright shocked.

My wife could tell that such public display of affection made me more than just a little uncomfortable. Instead of returning the hugs and kisses, I stiffened up.

“You looked like you were going to faint when Peggy kissed you,” she said.

“Well of course I did,” I said. “I have no memories of ever kissing any of my three sisters even one time. I couldn’t believe it when your sister kissed me less than 60 seconds after I met her.”

“Well, was that so bad?” my wife asked.

“No, as I matter of fact, I kind of liked it,” I confessed. “Peggy is a pretty woman, just like her sister. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting it, but I guess I could get used to it.”

“What about Mom, did her kiss surprise you?” my wife asked.

“Well, a little,” I admitted. “I can’t remember the last time my mother kissed me, but I suspect it was before I started the first grade.”

“What about your dad?” she asked.

“Nah, he never kissed me,” I replied, a bit repulsed by the thought. “The only time I can remember Mom and Dad kissing each other was at their 25th anniversary party.”

“Well, I guess your parents aren’t the affectionate type,” she said.

“I guess not,” I agreed. “Of course they did have four children in less than five years. Because of that, I have concluded that they reserved their affection for when the lights were out and no one else was around.”

From my own experience, I know it doesn’t take long to get used to receiving hugs and kisses. Thus, my wife and children are more like her family than my family. While we don’t do a whole lot of kissing, there are a lot of hugs when we gather as a family.

My wife and I still kiss on a daily basis and express our love for each other. My 5-month-old granddaughter also gets a lot of kisses from us, and while her sister, now 14, is convinced that she is too old for hugs and kisses, she received a lot of them until just a few years ago.

Sunday is Valentine’s Day, the holiday devoted to love. I have learned that there are many ways to express love. While sisters and I still have never kissed one another and Mom and I seldom do more than hug, we love each other just as much as members of my wife’s family who still do a lot of hugging and kissing.

And while Valentine’s Day may be the day for love, I hope my family — beginning with my wife and children and including my mother and sisters — know that I love them 365 days of the year.

Happy Valentine’s Day. Give someone a hug.

JOHN CANNON can be reached at jcannon@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2649