In our house, there are angels everywhere. And at least 50 or so are displayed all year long. There are another 30 or so angels in the dining room on my angel tree which is also a permanent house decoration. Then at Christmas, more angels come out like the big fibro optic one on the mantle along with others on the big Christmas tree, and the ones scattered through out the house. I always had some angels around, because my cousin and friend would buy precious moments figurines for me. But most of the angels have arrived in the last ten years after my diagnosis of breast cancer.

First my husband and children noticed that I found great comfort in angels. So, on every major event an angel would appear. Many of the ones my husband bought I was with him at the time. My children and daughter-in-law added a lot to the collection.

I have tried over the years to understand this obsession. I had one of those “Aha” experiences when I read an article in Venture Inward by Christine Northrup. She said, “I feel my life has been guided by the angels. . . .” I realized then, that I felt much the same way.

But for the most part, I don’t try to understand my love for angels, I just enjoy it. And each angel has their own story.

My son and his wife told me I was going to be a grandma by giving me a present. When I opened the box, there was a Willow Tree grandma angel. Of course, I burst out crying on that one. My daughter also gave me a Willow Tree angel for mother and daughter, and my little wellness group gave me one with sisters at heart.

My Amazon list serve for breast cancer has added some meaningful angels through the years. One departed list member sent me a Lladro angel in the mail after her death. It was very touching. Another list member sent me a stuffed angel after I did the Heimlich maneuver on her in a NY restaurant when she choked on a soybean pod. Another list friend made this beautiful angel with real feathers for my husband and I as a thank you for helping her after Katrina made her homeless.

My sixtieth birthday party also added a huge Heartwood Creek angel that sits on the hearth.

Then there are the outdoor angels. One sits on a big tree stump welcoming people up our long driveway. Another sits on the side picnic table and two others are alongside the front door along with three others on the porch. I know all these angels sound a little absurd, but they are beautiful, not tacky. And they are ever remindful of the real angels in my life.

And it is those people, the angels in all of our lives that we all should remember to thank at this holiday time. Those people that go the extra mile for us. That listen to us, help us, support us, and are there for us through good times and bad. Those angels make life worth living. Whether they are friend or family, or somebody we meet in a hospital or during an emergency, or a physician that helps us, they are the real thing.

At the end of my video slide show for my sixtieth birthday. I ended with a sequence with the accompanying music Calling All Angels. The words are so appropriate for angels in our lives during troubling times. This was also the music in the movie Play It Forward. (Words and lyrics by Jane Siberry with K.D. Lang lyrics.)

A great quote about friendship and angels states, “ Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.” (Anonymous) There is also a beautiful poem with pictures of angels at the website:

http://poetry-emotion.com/Friends_Heart_Emotions/sharingtimes.html

Lastly, whether you are the one being the angel unaware, or receiving help from one, that is the real meaning of the Christmas spirit. Merry Christmas!