I just had a bjorange!

This summer, in my research, writing and personal experimentation, i've been digging into the qualities of enlightenment, and how those qualities can, do and must co-exist alongside with sensuality, sexuality and relationship.

What's most stuck out is this concept: to love, appreciate, acknowledge and celebrate WHAT IS, not what we wish to be so. This has us stop running, hiding and pushing away the present moment, but instead has us see it square on. What happens after getting out of our fantasy life and being able to see reality, is that we are then able to see even more that is good. We can stop using our "bad" eyes and begin to start seeing with "good" eyes. I notice I only get into trouble when I get swept away with thoughts that have to do with what if, if only...

It was noted by a man named Victor Baranco, founder of an intentional living collective, MoreHouse (www.LafayetteMorehouse.com) that there wasn't really an event in our culture to acknowledge a relationship besides a marriage. Nor was there a word that rhymes with "orange." Thus was born the ceremony, a Borange. My boyfriend added the ecclectic "j" and hence personalized our into a "Bjorange." As a surprise to me, he had a dear friend of ours officiate our Bjorange, during his birthday two days ago.

What happens in a Bjorange? It is a celebration of the relationship, acknowledging what is good about it, right now, today. It is not a promise of the future nor a looking back at the past. He told me everything he loves and appreciates about me and our relationship, and I did as well. Our guests each told us what we - as individuals and as a relationship - meant to them. I loved doing this in the company of our favorite people on the planet. It was incomparable to know how much our relationship is inspiring to our dear friends. I felt a deep honoring of what we have NOW, for this man I get to walk with, create with, love with NOW. And NOW is, as we stride purposely into our juicy and amazing future, is really all we have.

As my teacher, Dolano (www.dolano.com) in India likes to say, "What's after NOW? Another NOW, isn't it?"