new blessings

I entered the kitchen in the middle of the story. There were no page numbers, so I began picking up on it, like you do when you watch American cinema after the film has already begun.
Daniel B. sees me, and (as is his charitable way) he alters the storyline in such a way as to include me.
Seems last night he was at a party. He was talking to a lovely healer (who lives and works here locally). A previous student, or apprentice, or what have you-- any frame of reference in this physical plane ('in' and not 'on' a physical plane, that would imply that most human beings are actually living three dimensionally, “Au contraire, mon ami!”.) Whatever, she was a born ally along this healer's hero quest. --- Secretly, deep inside the truth of all our truths, we are all on a mythical journey- the hero's quest. Every life, every individual living in each and every house across America, in every abode of every kind of mankind- is a hero somewhere along that journey. For most, we are on the long, wicked stretch of road of denial of power not suitable for any life long company- that comes and goes all in due course.
So, this ally comes rushing up to the lovely healer (a bit tipsy, by the way, at this particular celebration) and says to Daniel B, “I'm so glad to find you both here, right here! Because the server is my boyfriend, and I want you both to meet him.”
Introductions are passed around, the kind where you closely examine the person, like you do when your palm is up, flat out and you are shaking your loose coins around, hunting, seeking out one in particular.
The healer turns to Daniel B. and says, “Oh, Daniel has got a great Love Blessing for the two of you”. And Daniel's thinking, “Oh come on. You know good and well that I do not, madam.”
At this point in the story, I'm thinking, “Gee, neither do I. I wonder what I'd say to get out of a jam like that?”
Now, Daniel has this amazing ability to see almost every calamity as part of a bigger picture, a happy, great biggly happy picture. So he realizes, “Wow, this woman always has the most outrageous confidence in me.”
Now, I can imagine, a great healer turning to me (with all the powers of ancient, mythical wisdom) and saying to me, Greg M. toss a little Love Blessing on these children that will outlast any mortals company, or their individual hero's quest- and she, knowing that I've got nothing, and her saying it as confidently as if I were Merlin the Magician, or Jesus, Buddha, God, or even Rasputin – they've got warehouses of Love Blessings around, because their person: body, knowledge, and spirit is so overstocked.
I'd panic. Imitate a rock, and start to grow moss until someone said something. (I have quite a large moss collection).
Then again, she knows Daniel B walks ahead on the journey; he's past denial and is into looking for valuable 'ally' ore in everyone. An inspiration comes to him from out of the spirit world-- A Native American Prayer for Beauty. He's a storyteller from the days of storytellers- as old as the beginning of things-- call & response. In his mind he re-arranges the ingredients of the Beauty Prayer into a love blessing and mixes it with his way of including you into the story.
This part of the story requires the reader to act. Stand back to back--
(with someone. They don't have to be your lover, anyone in your life is an ally
along your hero's quest ) so close that you can feel the other person's body.
Take a deep breath, feeling how the body behind you feels.

Now repeat Daniel B's Prayer, “There is only love behind me.”
Step forward, turn around and face each other; look into each other's eyes and say, “There is only love in front of me.” Now, raise your arms from your sides as high as you can, feel the breeze pass by your arms and fingers. Say, “There is only love around me.” Lower your arms to your side. Now, play 'patty-cake' and say, “There is only love between us.”


Not a bad Love Blessing from an off-the-cuff charlatan.

Back in the kitchen, I responded with something moss-tacular like, “Wow! That's amazing!” Back in the kitchen, we spoke like people do; casting inquiries like bread crumbs, hoping that a new insight or some humor might prolong the magic.
“What would you have done?” In my mind, I know, I would have frozen as sure as if someone had pointed a gun at me and shouted. “Freeze!”. But I'm not imitating a stone. “ I guess I would have put on my best Bill Murray deadpan face and said, “ Face each other and look into each other's eyes, extend your hand out- like movie ushers do, as if you were about to offer up two “Groundhog” movie tickets, and say, “Here's two front row tickets to Wrestle-Mania.”.
Back in the kitchen, I had to explain that joke, the references, the subplot.... on and on....
Daniel B.'s laughing more about how distant my sense of humor lies than the joke itself. Well, let me tell you: in the baseball field of life, my sense of humor is the infield playing 'in' for a play at the plate. My compliments play a little deeper.
Like I hope I said, I use humor when I'm in a jam.
So this story will have to do.