Tuesday Angel Stories - THE HAND

    TUESDAY ANGEL STORIES

HELPING HAND

It has been my experience that “angel encounters” occur in life’s everyday chores and activities.  This was the case with the “angel encounter” I call The Helping Hand.

It 1983 & I was out doing my big monthly grocery shop with eighteen-month son Matthew in tow.  A very ordinary activity on a very ordinary day.

You must realize that at that time, a grocery cart was just that – a grocery cart.  It was a large raised basket on wheels with a handle for pushing.  There were no such things as toddler seats or safety harnesses.

It was typical for any grocery store at that time to have several mothers pushing these carts.  Trying to keep both toddler and groceries in the cart was no easy task.  Toddlers routinely played with all the “crushables” whilst trying to escape the confines of the cart to explore the exciting colourful world beyond.

The air was customarily filled with mothers’ warnings ..”Don’t stand up!” “Stay sitting!”  “Watch or you’ll fall out  of the cart!”

My case was no different.  Matthew was situated in the cart supposed to be seated – but often caught standing and stretching.  I was attempting to contain my son while at the same time fill up the cart with groceries as fast as possible.

Going down the laundry detergent aisle, one of a mother’s fears was realized.  My toddler stood up awkwardly – stepping on the bag of frozen peas.  In doing so, he flipped backwards falling out of the cart.

There was nothing I could do but watch as he careened toward the concrete floor while images of hospitals and head injuries raced through my panicked mind.

Suddenly & unexpectedly, as my son’s body was completely parallel with the floor, a huge hand appeared under him and righted him back into the cart.

Then, just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared.  My son was safe and sound & we faced each other with odd looks on our faces.

A perfect ending to this would be that Matthew learned to stay seated in shopping baskets.  To the contrary as he often told me his big angel was there and wouldn’t let him fall.  I never saw the angel – just his hand that once –but my son was sure taken care of in bizarre & unusual ways through his very adventurous growing up boy years.

TUESDAY READING LIST

Oct. 10       My Special Angel

Oct. 17       My Angel Certification

Oct. 24       You Asked for It – You Got It

Oct. 31       Holey Angel

Nov. 07      The Hand

Nov. 14      Angels at Bob Evans

Nov. 21      Angels Fly Delta

Nov. 28      My Journey with Parkinson’s