"Take care of your blessings"

The African-American gay poet Essex Hemphill used to tell his friends and audiences "Take care of your blessings."

My one remaining Aunt, the last of her generation, who has figured large in my life and whom we planned to visit in Florida the week following the wedding, has died. Verba was a force of life and I will really miss her. Her death reminds me not to put off the important things and the most important of things are people, relationships, and faith. And Essex reminds me to take care of my blessings, such as Verba Kuebler MacKenzie Hill.

We could have gone earlier (and now in fact I am leaving tomorrow for the funeral in Clearwater), but we thought and Verba said that the end of the month would be soon enough. Most of you have heard my "expect the worst and you won't be disappointed" tag line. I should have remembered it with Aunt Verba.

The good news is that Frank and I aren't putting off our relationship and are eagerly awaiting the chance 21 days from now to proclaim it to the world. We are taking care of the blessing that we are each to the other.