“You go ahead, Bette.”

Bette held the lit sage in front of her, then lifted it so that smoke swirled over her.  Almost immediately, the smell was pungent and surprisingly both earthly and ethereal.  Slowly, she lowered it and fanned her hands over the herb so that the wafting smoke moved around her entire body.  She held it out and fanned the smoke toward Tina, before moving her hand behind Tina’s back and fanning the smoke around her.  Tina mimicked Bette’s actions, first fanning the sage around her own body, then around Bette’s.

Bette walked to the front door and started at the threshold and moved up and over, then down to the other side of the frame.  As she did this, she said, “Let all the negativity that has built up in our home be replaced by what has always been here—love, caring, and trust.”

She walked the perimeter of the living room with Tina trailing behind her.  At the bookcase, Bette said, “Let us learn from each other and take knowledge from one another.” 

Tina stood at the sofa and spoke, “Help us to find common ground.”

Bette walked into the kitchen and fanned the sage.  “Just as this room is abundant with things that give us sustenance, let us find sustenance with each other.”

Tina walked down the hallway.  “Sometimes we will walk down a path alone, but we should always remember that doors have been left open by the other.”

Tina was the first to reach the bathroom where she moved the shell up and down left and right, waving her hand over the bundle of sage.  “Just as gentle water soothes us, let us soothe each other.”

Bette stood at the doorway and added, “And just as water quenches our thirst, let us drink from the other.”  She turned and left the room, crossing the narrow hall to the bedroom.  Bette stood at the door, waiting for Tina, and then they both entered the room.  Bette went to one side of the bed and Tina, the other.  They smiled and looked at each other.

“Let us always know that love will see us through.”

“And in here, let it be heart to heart and always an act of love,” Tina said sincerely.