angels

I want to believe in angels. Extensions of the hand of God, protecting loved ones from harm and danger. I got a call this afternoon with news of a car accident that, the police officer reported, 'should' have caused the death of a friend of mine. Apparently the circumstances of the acccident dictated that the driver, my friend, would normally have been decapitated. Instead, he walked away from the accident-- seriously shaken up, but unhurt. No one in the accident was badly hurt, in fact.

Tonight I babysat for the J family, watching over my sweet R and E. The tradition with me and R at bedtime is that I sing "my" song, which is the black spiritual, Day is Dying. Her daddy has a full repertoire of songs, but this is my stand-by. The refrain is, "All day, all night, angels watchin' over me, my Lord. All day, all night, angels watchin' over me." She doesn't know that this is my constant prayer for her, that she be kept from every harm and danger. Tonight, for the first time, she started singing along with me.

There are no magic incantations to summon the constant presence of angels. Bad stuff happens. My heart weeps at the truth of that. I might have gotten a call with different news of that morning accident. I deeply dread even the possibility of news that my darling R or E have come to harm. In the meantime, I want to believe in angels.