January 18, 2008
We entertain angels unawares...
I’m walking to work this morning, and as I round the corner, I see her feet sticking out the doorway of a church across the street... the closer I get, the more of her I can see... she sits there in the midst of a jumble of blankets and bags, her skirt pulled up above her knees, her plump legs bare to the morning sun and breeze... she’s eating candy and smiling... I cross the street sooner than I usually do so I can pass by and say good morning, pulling off my gloves and earmuffs as I go... and when I reach her, she says, “Can you help me?”... I tell her I have no cash but she can have these... and the smile that lights up her face as she accepts my gloves is as the sunshine peeking out of storm clouds on a dark day... it brightens the whole street and my morning, too...
I walk on down the street and hear her voice behind me... wait... I want to give you something, too... and I stop and look back to see her moving toward me with a plastic shopping bag in her hand... I wait for her... and she reaches me, all smiles and joy, and pulls a lovely red-straw hat with a red and purple rose on it from the bag and hands it to me... I want you to have this, she says... and I take it from her and settle it on my head... our smiles fill the air between us... and I say thank you... and after we exchange a big hug, she tells me... somebody gave it to me last night and I want you to have it... they said it’s, it’s, it’s... and I finish for her... the red hat club?... and she smiles and exclaims, Yes! but I don’t know where it is... I don’t know how to find it... and I tell her it’s in our hearts... not a place... the red hat club is women over 50, which is me for sure... and she says it’s her, too, but she wants me to have the lovely hat...
And she links arms with me and says she will make sure I get across the street okay... and she dances along beside me... our arms linked... singing an old Beatles song... all you need is love, love... all you need is love... and I sing along with her... we reach the corner... she pushes the button on the light pole... and we wait for the walk signal... we are still singing... she is still dancing... then she walks across the street with me... and we stop and hug each other goodbye... and I walk on to my office... still wearing the red hat... looking back before I enter my building to see her safely cross the street and on her way back to her doorway... still dancing... still smiling...
We entertain angels unawares...
An angel gave her a red hat and it gave her joy...
An angel gave me the red hat and the joy spread to me...
And Tuesday night when I go to the nursing home, an angel will give the red hat to a lonely little lady who always, always, always wears hats... and the joy will spread to her...
And whenever I or anyone else sees her proudly wearing her red hat... the joy will spread to us...
We entertain angels unawares...
Posted by Spiderlillies at 3:58 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack