ANGELS BIG AND SMALL

Yesterday when I was reading Cruisin-Mom’s blog she asked about ‘one event that changed the course of our lives’ www.cruisin-mom.blogspot.com . Go visit her, she has a great blog. ( I hope this comes out…since I changed to Beta everything is farmished. )

My comment to her blog was: ‘Every once in a while an angel is sent my way. And each time, my life has been changed.’

I thought about that all night, (thanks cruisin). And I honestly do believe that I have had angels appear who made a huge impact on me.

Now before you all think I’m two steps away from The Cuckoo’s Nest, they didn’t have wings…they didn’t fly…and they didn’t offer me three wishes…sigh.

One: One of my kids was having a terrible time in high school. We didn’t know she was L.D. (learning disabled). Except for math, all her grades were great. See, for the most part, L.D. kids are really smart and they fool you. And it works until the moment that it all falls apart and they can’t keep their heads above water, so to speak. I didn’t know what to do and my neighbour told me about an article she had just read in the newspaper about this lady who had a private learning center in Jerusalem for kids like my kid.

I called and made an appointment. She kinda looked like Jabba the Hutt. I mean this woman got her clothes from Omar the Tent Maker. She thought that getting dressed up meant putting on a pink skirt, an orange sweater, and her favourite boots that dairy farmers wear when going to muck out the barn. You get the picture. What you would call ‘an unforgettable character’. But she saved my kid and I will always bless her.

Not only that, but after a year, I started teaching English in her place and five years later opened up my own learning center, Shar Patuach which helped hundreds of kids in the fourteen years we were in business.

Two: When the intifada was in full bloom and my learning center was going bankrupt a group of people took it upon themselves to help keep us afloat…my brother, the Guv, and a handful of other angels who you don’t know. If I can smile today and not jump every time the phone rings, it is because of their love.

Three: My youngest was in the army. Someplace wayyyyyyyyyyyyy up north and my husband and I decided to surprise him on the weekend and go up to visit. Now, I don’t know about your husbands, but mine is a thinker. He thinks out what he has to do; he asks himself all the necessary questions; and he gives himself all the answers. (Yes, my friends that is why there is only one egg and a gazillion sperm.)

Anyway, off we go. Suddenly he takes the old Jericho road, which used to be the shortcut and would save us almost an hour of driving. But, it was also unbelievably dangerous to travel that route at the time.

Never mind, off he went and the closer we got to Jericho the more frightened I became. There was nothing in the distance but desert, and as we turned around the bend, the Casino came into view.


We’re dead, I thought and quietly told him that I thought we should turn back.
He looked at me and told me that we were perfectly safe and not to worry.

As we turned back to look at the road, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a soldier was standing in the road. Honestly, out of nowhere.

He raised his hand and stopped our car.
‘Shalom,’ he said. ‘Where are you folks going today?’
We told him we were on our way up north to visit our son in the army.
He said, ‘If you continue on this road for five more minutes you will be cut to ribbons! His exact words were, ‘Yichtechu otchem l’gzarim.’ Please turn around and go the new way.’

I gulped and looked at my husband. He turned white and looked at me.

When we looked back at the road, the soldier was gone.

Then there is the story of Carlos, the anesthesiologist who was holding my hand when I had my near death experience. But that is for another blog.

Now, I don’t know why I have been blessed by these angels, but boy am I grateful. And some things you never forget and never take for granted.

Thank you, G-d.

Have a great day…stay safe…and thanks for dropping in.