I opened my eyes after meditation yesterday afternoon.  Soon the words were on my lips:

Go to a room and love everyone there

And then the room appeared in my mind – Café Barrazza, just off the Langemunt in Gent.

I walked in and sat at my favourite table.  To my left was a snoozing cat named Sam.  He looked so comfy.  I decided to let him be.  Petting would have been mostly for me.  I loved him a metre away.

My server was a nice young man.  I ordered a Westmalle Tripel and a croque monsieur while silently loving him.

There were only two other customers – two guys across the way, fully engaged in their conversation.  I loved them too.

See those picture frames on the far wall?  A young woman walked in and lingered back there, facing left.  She burst into smile, greeting someone hidden from my view, someone I hadn’t noticed.  She opened her arms in greeting and moved towards a hug with the person unknown to me.  I loved the two of them.

A couple sat down to my right, beyond a potted plant.  Their names were Bart and An.  Soon I was playfully complaining that Sam was approaching them, and also the hidden couple … but not me!  We smiled.  And then Sam took up residence on An’s lap.  More Bruce angst.

***

It’s not that I was running out of energy to love all these folks but my beer and sandwich had disappeared, and it felt time to leave.  I put on my coat and stood with my neighbours, whom I had been loving.  They invited me to sit with them and offered to buy me a drink.  I said yes … to the company and to a ginger beer.

After talking about this, that and the other thing, I heard my head ponder telling them why I was at Café Barrazza.  An and Bart were “strangers” but not at all strange.  They were lovely in fact.

So I told them my day’s story, about how I’d been loving them for the last little while.  They were happy I had gone to the truth, and also about the nature of that truth.

I think it was 24 years they’ve been together … and deeply in love.  They live in Antwerp and somewhere else.

I wish I could remember what they said but their words have floated away.  It doesn’t matter.  What was fine is that we connected as human beings, ones who share all the nuances of being alive.  Our stories differed but our hearts were the same – open.  I was happy.

We hugged goodbye, them heading to the train station and me to home.  New friends.

It was an afternoon well spent.  And many other rooms beckon me …