2/10/1999
Wednesday

Blessing

Stephen was still listless this morning, but he wasn't coughing nearly as much. I guess the cough medicine we gave him last night helped. He ate some Cheerios, and in a few hours he perked right up.

Uncle John's funeral was this morning so Tab had taken the day off. He drove Daniel to school then went off to the funeral home. He was to be pallbearer again; this marks the fifth time he's been a pallbearer in the years we've been together. We've jokingly said that he should buy his own white gloves to use in these situations since he's tapped for the job so often. "I could wear my gloves and walk up and down the street, shouting, 'Bring out your dead!' "

After the gravesite service, the funeral party lunched at the Merry-go-Round, a local bar/restaurant. Stephanie wanted me to bring the twins. I didn't want to commit since I wasn't sure how Stephen would be feeling, but since he seemed better by lunch we went. The dining room was a dark, windowless, somewhat shabby place. The establishment is obviously past its prime. But the food was decent and the staff friendly. We went there after the funeral of Jean, Stephanie's other sister, who died last summer.

The twins were excited about going back, but as soon as they saw the throngs of strangers seated at the tables, they became shy. Matthew clung to me nearly the entire time. He wouldn't even take a seat at the table; Tab had to cut up my turkey and potato for me since my other arm was supporting Matthew on my lap.

Stephanie wanted the twins to be blessed by a priest who was there, an old friend of the family's. Maybe she was thinking this blessing would counter the effects of their being baptized in the Episcopal tradition. She held Stephen up and introduced him to Fr. Ted, a tall, thin, ascetic-looking elderly man.

"Stephen--what a beautiful name," the priest said. He made the sign of the cross over Stephen and said, "May the Lord bless you and keep you, Stephen."

Then he turned to me, and I said, "This is Stephen's twin, Matthew."

"Matthew--another beautiful name. May you walk with the Lord and be a blessing to your mother, Matthew."

I'm not sure why he commented on their names, but I suspect he has had to bless a lot of Hunters, Tylers, Codys, Dakotas, and Sierras, lately. My suspicion was born out when Tab's cousin Barb held up her granddaughter, Cassidy.

"This is Cassidy, Father."

He made sign of the cross and blessed Cassidy, but said nothing about her name.

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