Blessing!

Step 2 in the Way/Tao/Path is to be willing, unconditionally, to be a blessing to others.  This, my friends, can be delightfully surprising and wonderful, and it can be scary, if we allow ourselves to feel fear. 

It's important not to feel fear, because fear is the opposite of love, and the Tao/Way/Path of Enlightenment is the Way of Love.  We never know what might happen when we allow Love to operate, and to bless through us. 

Last week, I was headed home on the DC metro one night, and arrived at the exit gate of the Takoma Station after dark, only to find myself going through the ticket gates with three young African-American guys. 

All of a sudden, I heard one singing, and he had a nice voice. So, pausing only for a split-second to debate (in my head) the pros and cons of speaking to a complete stranger in this setting, I said to him, "You have a nice voice."

One of his friends immediately retorted, "Don't encourage him!"

So, I turned (they were behind me), and said to the one who sang, "Wait a minute, how old are you?"

He replied, "Twenty-six."

I told him, "You're never too old to be told that you're good at something.  I was 30 years old before I was told that I have the gift of writing."
What followed was a conversation about writing books - the other young man has a dream of writing a sci-fi fantasy type of book, so I encouraged him to follow his dreams.  I shared with them how I was moved to write, and self-publish, my first book when Michael Jackson died.

We had a very touching conversation, standing in the semi-darkness of a metro station at night - I and three young men with whom I would never have had a conversation if I had not sought to bless one with a compliment.  I feel so grateful for this conversation.  At least the young man who plans to write did too.

Sometimes this business of being a blessing seems easy like that.  Sometiems it is a little more challenging.  The very next morning, I was running late on my walk (sometimes I have to jog a little) to the metro, when I encountered a toothless man at a bus stop along the way.

This very large man was asking me something which at first I did not understand because of his lack of teeth.  Then I realized he was asking (me!) for a cigarette.

I told him I did not have any as I kept walking.  Then he asked me for a hug.  By then, I was past him a good fifteen feet, but I turned, hesitated, and he did not help the situation by adding that he "just wanted to prove that I'm not a rapist."  Hmmm....

So, I paused and asked him if he believes in God.  He said he did.  I asked him if he believed that if I hugged him, God was hugging him too.  He said he did.  So, I walked up to a strange, large, toothless man, and gave him a hug.  He kissed me on the neck. 

I told him I had to go, and he released me from the hug, and I said something about having a blessed day, and really hurried on my way.  Okay, I confess, a small part of me was a little concerned about all this, but mostly, I truly hope that this man at the bus stop actually experienced a hug from God that day.

When's the last time that you received a hug from God from a total stranger?  When's the time you gave a hug from God to a total stranger?  I'm sure God was hugging me and kissing me, if only I could let it be just that. 

Blessing.  It's so often unexpected, both in the giving and receiving, but that is the Way/Tao/Path of Enlightenment.

May you also be blessed!
Carol