Intentions--"Thank You Ashley Madison" excerpt

     I wrote down eight intentions I want to manifest.

     “I want to be a beautiful radiant light spreader.”

     “I want to be healthy and vibrant in mind, body, and soul.”

     “I want to be independently wealthy and divinely directed to spread money and light the world.”

     “I want to purify my intentions, make them all about truth, beauty, love, and sharing light.”

     “I want to be divinely directed and led straight to true, deep, reciprocal, unconditional love that will lift my spiritual partner, me, and everyone around us.”

     “I want to be what I want for the world, and what I want for the world I want for me.”

     “I want to be more compassionate, empathetic, loving, and connected to others.”

     “I want the world and I to be ablaze in light.”

     I held the necklace Jody gave me for my birthday and read the attached card. “ACCOMPLISH MAGNIFICENT THINGS. Make a wish and put on your necklace. Get ready to accomplish the incredible! You can do whatever you set your mind and your heart to. Wear your necklace as a reminder that you are capable of anything you imagine.”

     I put the necklace on each of my intentions and, as I did so, read each intention out loud. I asked to be blessed and put the necklace on. I meditated and read a chapter in “A Thousand Names for Joy.”

     Ruby and Mikey came by in the evening and took Tom and me to the trampoline park. Before we could bounce, we had to watch a safety video with other jumpers. Ruby and I began whispering about my divorce.
     “JB turned into a creepy repulsive letch,” I said under my breath.
     Tom, standing in front of me, stiffened. My heart sank. What the hell is wrong with me? Why can’t I hold my tongue? Why can’t I rise above my thoughts, control my emotions?

     The video ended and we began jumping. Mikey, overweight, began wheezing and his face quickly reddened. Skinny Tom bounced around like Ricochet Rabbit and sprinted toward a pit full of squishy foam blocks. He took a running jump, bounced off a trampoline, and landed in the middle of the foam-block pit. Mikey catapulted in and spent the next ten minutes flailing his way out of the blocks. Ruby and I called for a water break. When Mikey had caught his breath, we began walking down the edge of a row of trampolines toward an empty trampoline. A girl doing flip-flops kicked Mikey’s arm and he began screaming, "My arm is broken! My arm is broken!" Ruby touched Mikey's arm and he howled loudly. She shook her head and we left the trampoline park. Ruby dropped Tom and me at home then took Mikey to the emergency room.
     "Nothing wrong," she texted. "He's fine."