Approximately 25 years ago I read this book as part of my summer reading list for school. I remember I loved it back then, so I decided to reread it now. As the cover indicates it is a compilation of true stories of children’s encounters with angels. Essentially it is a feel good, Chicken Soup for the Soul kind of book.
In some stories children in peril shout out to God or their guardian angel and protection immediately arrives. In other narratives children are rescued before they even realize they are in danger. I remember reading these stories and loving this concept. I believed so heartedly in it too. Which is why I would repeatedly pray to my guardian angel anytime I was afraid. Whether I awoke from a bad dream or had to walk to my car alone in the dark, and for everything in between, I’d recite the Guardian Angel prayer.
Reading this book now as an adult with much more life experience, the words struck me a little differently. I though it was “cute,” but the skeptic in me constantly questioned its validity. Who were the authors of these stories and how much may they have been embellished? Afterall, I did not come across a fact-checking chapter.
One encounter involved a young girl drowning who was saved by an angel. My heart immediately hurt for the mothers I know of who have lost a child to drowning. How do you explain to them why their child wasn’t saved by a mystical boy on a surfboard? That is an injustice I will never understand and will never be okay with.
I remember my younger self reading this book and wanting so badly to experience an angel encounter of my own. One as clear cut and significant as the ones I had read about it. The thing is we’ve probably all experienced hundreds of angel intercessions throughout our lives. We just have different names for them such as “close calls” or “lucky escapes.” Those moments driving in your car when your adrenaline is pumping because you were almost in an accident.
Sometimes I also think angels simply help us get through our day, just like St. Anthony helps us find our car keys! It may be a parking spot, the right place at the right time, or any seemingly little but much needed serendipitous transaction that leaves us saying, “What a charmed life I lead!” I know whenever I get nervous making a left turn onto a busy street, I always ask my daughters for help and before I know it there is a break in traffic.
The end of the book is compiled of angel trivia, legends, poems, and songs. This is where I learned that October 2 is the feast day of guardian angels. I find this special because my still-born daughter Mary Ella was delivered October 3, but the night before was when we learned she had passed. I know my daughters serve as guardian angels for their brothers and this is a special reminder of that for me.
I know that praying to your guardian angel is no guarantee that nothing bad will ever happen to you, but I like to think that by doing so, you are keeping the lines of communication open. Hopefully the more I pray and talk to my guardian angel, the easier I make their job in protecting me. More importantly the more I teach my sons to do the same, hopefully the safer they will be. Who knows, maybe my special angel encounter will be seen through their eyes. Don’t worry, should that happen, I will be sure to write it down.