Angels in my life

Summer in Seattle, the hottest day of the year, and I had the flu—probably the worst case I've ever had. I ran a fever and my throat ached. I couldn't get warm, even though it was a sunny 90 degrees outside. My wife had to go to work and she was worried about me. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'm sick," I said between dizzy spells. "Where would I go? I'll just sleep." So she left me under the blankets.

Then the doorbell rang and the door opened. In came two of the nicest ladies I've ever met. "We're here to be with you," one said, smiling at me, "to watch over you for a while, since your wife had to work."

I thought," gee, that's great. My wife must have called some agency and they sent these nurses over." What a wonderful wife. They got me a cool drink of water, tucked the covers around me, and mopped my sweating face with a damp washcloth.

I slept for a long time but whenever I nodded up to the surface, they were there, always smiling. It was really a comfort having them and I don't think I'd have slept so well without them.

Finally, one said," We need to leave now. Your wife will be home in about 45 minutes, so just get some more sleep and you'll be fine."

Sure enough, my wife came through the door shortly thereafter, worried that I might be even sicker. "No, I'm okay," I reassured her. "The nurses were here and they took care of me."

Even in my hazy befuddlement, I could tell I'd confused her. "What nurses?" she wondered.

"You know. The two nurses from the agency you called," I explained. "They came in and made sure I was okay. They washed my face and patted me to sleep."

The look on my wife's face was strange. "I never called any agency," she said quietly. "I didn't ask for any nurses." To make sure, she checked with all the neighbors—sure enough, no one came to our house at all that day. No doorbell, no nurses, no home care, no damp washcloths.

But they were there. I could not have dreamed them. I felt their gentle hands behind the cool cloth on my sweating face. I saw their healing smiles and heard their gentle voices.

No one will ever convince me they didn't come that day I was so sick, because—even though I saw no wings—I know who they were.

May your angels always knock on your door whenever you need them