Author’s Note: Dear reader, I originally published this story in 2016. It is a story close to my heart and one that bears repeating. I hope it gives you pause for thought and much enjoyment.
On this chilly January day, as I sip on my morning coffee from a mug given to me by my daughter Priscilla, I read the mug, which has writing on it, and it says, “I’m a writer. Everything you say or do may end up in my novel.”
She gave it to me as a gift to commemorate this column. What is so funny about the mug is that it is true. Anything my family says or does could very well end up in a story of mine. Even if one of those stories defies belief, like this one.
That being said, and with my daughter’s 30th birthday having just past, I will begin by saying that this is a story about her — sort of. You see, she wasn’t actually there … Or was she? I will let you decide!
The big mystery…
I often say that in life we have small mysteries that can teach us lessons, and we have big mysteries that can leave us scratching our heads. Here is a very big mystery that might leave you with more questions than answers.
Thirty years ago, my husband and I lay down for a mid-day nap with our three-year-old son, who lay between us.
It was a beautiful day in April — the kind of day you leave the windows open for. As we lay there on the bed, a cool breeze drifted through the air bringing with it the smell of fresh honeysuckle.
It was the perfect setting for a much-needed rest for two exhausted parents of a toddler. Despite all of our efforts to get our son to sleep, it was a nap my husband and I took but our son did not.
As we lay there, a particularly strong gust of wind came through the bedroom window, raising the sheer window curtain and waking my husband.
The wind brought with it…
He rolled over and looked at me as I lay sleeping and saw something. What he saw could not be real. He thought he was dreaming. So he pulled the covers up over him and went back to sleep.
When we both woke from our nap, we looked at our son, who was lying there with a big smile on his face. We asked, “Have you been awake the whole time?”
“Yes,” he answered. “And daddy woke up, too,” he said, as if to tell on his father for stirring during our nap.
“Yes. Daddy did wake up. But I slept a lot and you did not sleep at all,” said my husband, as he tickled our little boy.
The sound of his laughter filled the air and as soon as they stopped playing, my son asked, “Daddy did you see the lady?”
“Yes!” said my husband.
“The lady who was kneeling next to Mommy?”
The visit…
I had no clue what they were talking about, but as soon as our son said those words, my husband turned white as a ghost and sat straight up in bed.
“Daddy? Who was the lady praying over Mommy?”
In fact, my husband had seen her, but thought he was dreaming.
Over the next few minutes, the two sat and compared details: her hair color, what she wore and exactly where she was kneeling in prayer. Everything matched.
As life’s mysteries would have it, a few days later I found out I was pregnant.
A mysterious woman was praying over me — an angel. Confirmation came from a three-year-old that what my husband saw was real, and then I found out I was pregnant.
Personally, I have never seen a ghost, but I have met many angels. Not the kind of angel my husband and son saw, but the kind of angel that comes in the form of a friend or loved one who lends you a hand when needed or a shoulder to cry on when you are hurt.
I am not sure about a lot of things, but I am sure of one thing — there are angels among us.
Nine months after our unforgettable mid-day nap, I gave birth to my second of three little angels.
Was she there with us during our nap? I will let you decide. I already know the answer. Yes, life is truly mysterious.
