Angels are the people that pay for a meal or a round of drinks for military personnel they see - not because our service people are needy - because they admire what they represent and want to show appreciation. Sometimes Angels are sympathetic to a perceived situation or a “There, but for the grace of god, go I” attitude.
A few years ago I was on vacation in Nebraska with my ex-husband and at the end of a meal when we asked for our check the waitress told us it had already been paid by a customer who had left before us. That Angel may have been someone who noticed we were from out of town and wanted us to have a good impression of their town. They might have seen my wheelchair and thought about someone they know in a similar situation and wanted to brighten our day. Whatever the reason, it was appreciated.
Twice I have been out with my children and random strangers have given me money. The first time was several years ago - I was in the mall with my two older kids. A lady is walking towards me, and then she moves over to walk in an intercept line. I scoot over so I will not run her over with my wheelchair, and then she scoots back over to block me. Then she stops me. I do not think I look like a needy person, but she gave me $40, and she says, “I loved to see you out with your kids. I want to pay for your day.”
The second time was earlier this year. I was out with Mika (my oops baby and inspiration for this series of posts) and we were on mall property headed to the bus stop. We were even still on the sidewalk because it did not end for another block at which point we would have been riding on the edge of the street. (The two remaining large malls in Colorado Springs were built many years ago with the assumption that people would drive - not walk - to the mall and no consideration at all for the disabled community.) A woman stopped her car, handed her husband a twenty and had him give it to me. She did not know me or know I was headed to the bus stop. I may have been a millionaire who just happened to be on that sidewalk. My need was not relevant to her.
Angels help because they can and it makes them feel good. They are usually at a place in their lives where giving can be more of a focus for them. You can not plan for an Angel; they come from out of the blue. When an Angel offers help, accept it graciously even if you do not need it. (I will explain more about that in my next post.)
I am not ready to be an Angel yet; I am the helper type we will cover next. I am however planning scenarios now that will help small business owners so when I can focus more of my attention on giving instead of growing I can give in a way that will make me feel good because I think it will have impact.
If you are an Angel I thank you. It does not matter if you are my Angel - you are somebody’s Angel. It does not matter if you are a business Angel (as I plan to be) or a personal Angel (as I have had). It does not matter if you are a soldier on your lunch break who buys a $1.25 burrito for the woman in the wheelchair in line behind you or if you pass out $100 bills to the people walking past you on the sidewalk, you are appreciated. We all aspire to someday be you.
Until next time…
Have a great day,
Susanne
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Check out the first post in this series.