Let's Hear it for the Real Angels

I noticed today a simple, orange and yellow artificial flower in the storage pouch of my double stroller. I see this flower every time I use the stroller but, today, I really noticed it. The flower was inadvertently picked up by my old soul during the recent burial of my mother-in-law. In life, my mother-in-law and I had a good relationship that was occasionally uncomfortable because we were a bit too much alike in some ways -- specifically, wanting things our own way. (So you can understand where an occasional clash might occur.) In death, my mother-in-law is one of my angels. Someone I talk to so much more frequently, seeking her assistance when things don't seem to be going exactly my way (see the pattern?). And, I know wholeheartedly that she is up there whispering in the right ear of my God, and asking him to take care of our family, her son, her grandchildren, and yes, even me, her sometimes stubborn daughter-in-law... advocating on our behalf.

No matter what earthly experience I may have had with friends or family members who have passed on, I find their presence in heaven (just my beliefs, not pushing anything on anyone else) such a comfort on those days that seem particularly rough going to me. So when I seek comfort, whether in prayer or just pleasant memories, I speak to and think of these angels... asking them to put in a good word for me and mine still running the daily race down here on earth.

So, my deepest gratitude to some of the real angels in my life: Grandma Alice, my Mother-in-law, my cousin Annie, and even my cat, Miko. For me, their absence here is a comfort and presence there.