Mibes: Good morning!Me: Good to see you my friend.
Mibes: Good to see you, looking happy, alive, ready for whatever the world sends your way.
Me: The thing I'm ready for is one of your hugs.
Mibes: (hugging me) Happy to oblige.
Me: Now I feel alive again. I'm not so sure I'm ready for anything the world sends my way. But breakfast might help.
Mibes: Sounds good to me. That's why we're here. Food and friendship.
Me: Calories and conversation.
Mibes: I've missed you.
Me: I've missed you, too. I had some rough days, but a few good ones too. I guess it all averages out to something less than "looking happy" but I'll take it.
Mibes: You could've fooled me. I've seen you healthy and sick, loving life and having a hard time holding on. You don't look sad to me.
Me: You should have seen me about two minutes before I saw you. I was telling myself, you've got to cheer up. Notice the beauty. You don't want Mibes to see you all dark and dreary
Mibes: You didn't want me to see you down? So you smiled anyway and told yourself to cheer up?
Me: Yes and no. True, I was discouraged and did give myself a little pep talk. But as soon as I saw you walking toward me my mood changed. You had a little bounce in your step and it was easy for me to feel that energy.
Mibes: Aw, you're sweet. I'm glad you're in a better mood, that you really do feel better, but you don't need to do any contortions with me.
Me: I know, but I wanted you to know that just being with you can change my whole attitude.
Mibes: Thanks I feel the same way about you, even when I'm not with you, thinking about you brings brightens up day.
Me: (singing under my breath) It's just the thought of you (laughter)
Mibes: (joining the laughter, then also also singing) and I forget to do
Me: the little ordinary things that everyone ought to do
Mibes: I'm living in some kind of daydream, I'm happy as a king
Me: As in Nat King Cole? Or Sinatra?
Mibes: Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, or Diana Krall?
Me: Ah Mibes. I love you.
Mibes: Yes you do and I love you. But there's something else going on here.
Me: Yup, we're having breakfast.
Mibes: Yes, but even beyond that, I love the idea of you and you seem to love the idea of me.
Me: Yeah, like we sang, the very thought of you, right? So if you love the person, don't you also just naturally love the idea of the person, too?
Mikes: It depends. I love my work. Usually. But even when it's not the best of days, I like the idea of my work, that what I'm doing makes a difference, even if I can't see it because I'm in weeds that day.
Me: So back to us. You could be really unhappy with me, but like, love the idea of of me?
Mibes: Kind of. I'm not expressing myself very well.
Me: Well just so you know, I like you, love you, here and now, more than the idea. The real person sitting right in front of me, eating his scrambled eggs and bacon.
Mibes: And I love the guy in front of me, the one with the chocolate croissant and the blueberry banana smoothie. The guy who thinks all those carbs are somehow healthy.
Me: Your bacon looks good.
Mibes: Here have a slice, I don't need two.
Me: Mibes, you're so kind. I sometimes wonder if you're real. When will I get to see the guy who sometimes loses it?
Mibes: You already have. Remember how when we were walking and that car almost hit you?
Me: Yes, you shouted three words: a verb, the word "you" and an anatomical description. One of the best moments of my life, actually.
Mibes: You almost get killed and it's one of the best moments of your life?
Me: Yes, I escaped death and injury and I saw such passion in you.
Mibes: Not just an emotional range of three notes?
Me: More like a full orchestra. Such a moment.
Mibes: As is this.
Me: As is this. And thanks for listening.
Mikes: You're easy on the ears and the eyes, you know.
Me: As are you my friend. As are you.
( Here's one of the Ella versions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKq4CXsK9pA#t=58 )
