Do You Believe in Angels?

There are moments in life that literally stop you in your tracks. When you freeze, and time stops with you.

Today, I recalled a moment from 1980. My first real—real-life crush, Jason, and I were driving home late one evening from the drive-in. My mom, a few cars ahead of us with her boyfriend, turned left at the busy intersection.

Jason started to follow, his hand on the wheel, beginning the rotation. Then, as if an invisible force tugged his arm, he yanked the wheel back and proceeded straight.

My mom pulled over immediately to the Jack in the Box on the corner. She told her boyfriend, Glenn, she had been overcome by a horrifying premonition—she had seen a crash. And, lo and behold, one happened right at that moment, in that intersection.

Someone lost their life.

The strange thing about it is that the car was supposed to be ours.

We got home before my mom. When she finally arrived, she was in tears and grabbed us. We all started talking at once and learned what our fate might have been if Jason hadn’t redirected the steering wheel. I asked him right then in the car why he didn’t turn. His only explanation was simple: "Something told me to go straight."

This morning, forty-five years later, my son and I were walking. I started to cross the street, then swiveled my leg back and headed in the opposite direction. Two steps in our new direction, we both froze.

A car going eighty miles per hour or faster zoomed into the opposite lane to go around traffic in this residential area. It nearly slammed into an oncoming car head-on, then zoomed back in between two other vehicles and zig-zagged out. Five cars almost collided just feet from where my son and I stood.

If we had taken the two steps I was first compelled to take, we would have been taken out.

A massive white truck, swerving to avoid the resulting pile-up, fishtailed directly into the crosswalk where we would have been standing. If one of those cars had been hit, it would have slid or rolled over onto us.

In these moments, I can’t deny angels, guardians, and how important it is to follow your intuition to safety.

Two weeks prior, I started having a strange feeling about our Christmas lights. I hesitated to even put them up this year, but we went forward, determined to salvage an incredibly difficult season. The little things seemed determined to fail: lights on a small metal tree wouldn't work at all, and two bulbs broke on the main tree. We managed to decorate around the flaws, but an uneasy question lingered: "Can Christmas lights start a fire?" I asked my husband.

The next morning, we discovered the outdoor lights had stayed on all night, their timer broken. I went to the computer, determined to correct our sad Christmas display by ordering replacements, while my son showered and retreated to the living room.

"Hey, Mom?" he called out. "Do these lights look brighter?"

I came in, and sure enough, they were blinding. I told him to turn them off, feeling the magic drain from the room as the only light was extinguished. He tried flipping the switch back on to see if we were imagining things, but the effect was still blinding. I immediately asked him to unplug them.

Later that night, upon investigation, we saw that some of the wires had charred. If we hadn’t noticed and acted the moment they flared up, a fire would have begun—our first angel of the season intervening in a quiet, domestic way. As much as I love knowing they are here, I hope they watch on for the rest of the season with a peaceful gaze.

Looking back, the angels I have encountered have shaped my life in profound ways. They have taught me about hope, resilience, and the power of kindness.

Each remembrance is a reminder that we can be angels in someone’s life, too, and we all have special ones who watch over us daily. I know my grandmother oversees my family and me. How about you?

As the holiday season approaches, I encourage you to reflect on the angels in your own lives.

Celebrate their impact and consider how you might bring some light to others with actions here on earth.

May you all be safe and have a wonderful holiday season.

Love to all,

Monique