Friend #66

I first met Friend #66 over an email. He was sending his reply to an invitation I'd sent him for my sister-in-law's baby shower. His grammar, eloquence with words, and spirituality reached out of the computer and made me almost stop breathing for a minute. All this in one little email.
His name is John Michael.
After reading the response, which had all the makings of an educated Southern gentleman in the early 1900's, I called my sister-in-law, Parris. "WHO IS this guy? I need to meet him!" Parris just smiled for a minute, "Oh, you're going to love John Michael!" I asked what his story was, and how a man could be so amazing in just one email. "I can't explain it, he's just wonderful." Great. Just wonderful. And although I'm solidly attached to my Michael, I couldn't wait to meet this man. Call it an English teacher's dream. And besides, I was pretty sure someone as fabulous as this man, was gay.
The day of the shower arrived and my hostess aura must have been shining because the first person to arrive shouted, "HI!!!" I spun around and saw this beautiful man who looked like the love child of Eddie Vedder and Robert Plant. Tall, with long, curly, dark hair, wearing a white linen button-down shirt, jeans and flip-flops. Before I could ask his name, this man gave me a huge bear hug and said, "Hi, I'm John Michael!" I was giddy and my Mike got a bit jealous, I could tell. We introduced ourselves for a minute and then he went to fill out a name tag. (I typically don't do name tags, but I found some really cool ones that said "Hi, My name is _____ and my special talent is _______" and "Hi, My name is _______ and I am the guest-of-honor's _______").
John Michael's name tag said "Hi, My name is John Michael and my special talent is Love." So perfect for such a man.
As I learned more about him, he revealed this: John Michael is a gay, republican, psychic/exorcist who actually attended the seminary. Intrigued? So was I! He emitted positivity, acceptance and grace. Everything he talked about was so joyful, it made me want to join whatever cult he was selling. (But he would never have a cult because he's too nice.)
It didn't surprise me that John Michael knew the entire beautiful gay wait staff at the restaurant. It also didn't surprise me that he had to leave early. (People that great always have a full social schedule, don't you know?)
I got another bear hug when he left and my teenage girl's heart sighed and wished I'd see him again.