The Luncheon

The Luncheon







Ordinarily, I do not attend luncheons from women’s organizations, but this one was a special. My wife, Paula, was to receive an award. My own mother had been named a “Woman of Valor” by Hadassah twice. When I married Paula, I told her how nice it would be if she too became a Life Member of Hadassah. I gladly paid for it. At the luncheon, I knew some of the people in attendance from my own community, but this luncheon encompassed many other local chapters.



After eating and drinking a lot of liquid I felt the need to go to the restroom. I knew the two facilities were unisex, how modern! I went to the rear of the ballroom where I hoped there would be less traffic even though it would be necessary to wend my way through and around tables of twelve to get there. I closed the door, locked it and saw that the place was reasonably clean.

On the counter was a bag that looked like as if contained two medium sized books. It was white, gaily decorated with colorful balloons with a curled ribbon that clerks often make with the flourish of a scissors. It loosely held the bag’s two handles together. That did not prevent a curious person, me, from spreading the bag open a tad to see the titles. One book was titled “Israel in Photos and Paints.” The sub text explained that it held photos and media pictures of the Holy Land as seen through the ages. The other was a novel by a current author, whose name escapes me. I returned to the table believing that whoever the last occupant was, he or she had inadvertently left the obvious gift there and would return shortly.

When I reached my seat, Paula asked if I had found the present that my mother left for me to pick up for my daughter Sue. Mom knew the layout of the room and was apparently able get there and leave the gift before I navigated my way around the all those crowded tables. So, I went back to the rest room and opened the door and surprise, the bag was gone.



I did not know how to even go about asking such a large multitude if the person who found it to please return it to me. Some people believe in “finders-keepers.” I asked the chairperson on the dais for the microphone and got permission to ask for whoever found my gift to please return it to the front desk No questions asked. That would avoid the person returning the items to face the embarrassment of being caught taking something not belonging to them. After ten minutes, I went to the front desk, only to find-to-find nada, nothing. I went to the microphone again and made another plea, asking everyone to please pay attention. This time I mentioned that it was a gift from my mother to my daughter and to it to please return it to that same front desk previously mentioned.



Not many people know this about me, but somehow I have good karma and I have evil karma. I am now, in remission from cancer for the last few years. I have had so many prayers and good wishes from friends’ neighbors and people of all faiths plus all the love and so much inner strength and will to overcome this disease plus little methods of prayer given to me that I feel contributed to my getting well. Often times when a friend or acquaintance even a neighbor not well known to me hears that I had cancer they tell me about their own battle with the disease or that of a loved one. If the chemistry is right, I may ask that person to do something with me. I tell them that I will pass on some of the love and good karma given to me in such excess that like a battery, I am going to recharge them. No one ever said “No.”

I have never inferred to anyone that I am some sort of Moses, Jesus or a healer of any kind. I just try to pass on the good vibes that worked for me. The almost standard answer is always, “I’ll do anything that will help me get better.”

I take both of their hands in mine and I tell them that I am sharing with them the excess cumulative love and wishes and good karma, plus sharing the prayers from all of my well wishers. I instruct them in how to pray every night as taught by the chemotherapy administrator who me to get better. It is not unusual for us to have tear-filled eyes, which is the reaction I hope to get. It means to me, they are getting the right reaction as far as I am concerned. I emphasize that they must do this regimen every night.



I have done this with people diagnosed with Merkel cancer, which is ninety-five percent fatal. I am told that some melanoma, lung, breast, ovarian and multiple site cancers have gone into remission or disappeared from their next CT scan. If I don’t feel right about that person getting better, I don’t suggest it to them. I have never asked nor received anything from anybody and would never take anymore than a hug. They are all my friends now. One person‘s spouse looked at me strangely and she is not better but at least at a stand still. I pray for her as I do for all these people every night individually and certainly when I go to any holy place of worship and so far, I’m batting a thousand.



Now, for the other part of the equation – twice, when someone has done what I knew to be harm or evil to me, I wished him or her harm and cursed them. Without going in to details, once, when I was twelve years, old a person I had cursed and fell dead onto the tracks of a subway station. The other developed a serious illness and quickly succumbed in weeks. That was only just a few years ago. I don’t claim special powers and I didn’t try to analyze if it was coincidence or... I never told anyone that I was happy about it those outcomes, but I felt like I had won the lottery.



Very few of the people at the luncheon knew me at all. I never talk about the bad karma but I wanted my daughter’s present back. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Again, I walked to the dais and explained that whoever took the package from the restroom should bring it to the front desk immediately. I explained that it was a gift my mother had delivered to her youngest granddaughter and that it would be prudent to return in order prevent evil befalling the perpetrators own youngest grandchild. I added that I would pick up the package shortly and by the way, my mother passed away in 1981”.

Within minutes, I reclaimed Sue’s package at the front desk. I asked no questions.