Angels Among Us

"When life dealt troubled times and had me down on my knees
There's always been someone there to come along and comfort me
A kind word from a stranger to lend a helping hand
A phone call from a friend just to say I understand
Ain't it kind of funny at the dark end of the road
Someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope"

"Angels Among Us" by Alabama

I grew up believing there are people who are angels in disguise. As I have grown and matured, I have come to believe that ALL people have the ability to be an angel for someone. They don't even have to do it on purpose and they can be complete strangers or the closest of family.

Throughout the last two weeks I have had an opportunity to see the wings hidden by the t-shirts on the backs of several people. Although for most of them (my husband and my parents especially) I know they will always be there, it is still impressive to see what they will do in a time of need. This week is one of the rare occasions I have dropped the "tough lady" image and leaned on people as needed. I wanted to say thank you to some of them here, publicly, because most angels never get the recognition they deserve.

First, my husband. He has been incredibly patient and level-headed through the past two weeks. Starting with the 911 call to get an ambulance out to the house, Daniel has not shown that he will crack. I can only imagine that inside he has had several moments that he was as afraid as I was. But, he allowed me to have the space I needed to freak out on my own without worrying I was scaring him. Daniel knows just when to joke around with me and when to be serious. He has made the bed for me when I was tired, and he has sat up with me when I couldn't sleep. I can't wait to start exercising with my fitness buddy again (Daniel is one huge motivator), and I know he will be at my side ready to start walking slowly with me until I can run again.

My mom has also been a huge help. She has taken the girls at a drop of a hat so Daniel and I could go to yet another doctor's appointment. She and my dad took the girls overnight on a school night so Daniel and I could get to their house in the truck the next morning. This really helped Daniel get to work on time so he could come home to be with me at the eye doctor. Taking the girls so I didn't have to worry about them has been one of the biggest keys to me staying sane. I noticed last night that the loud, craziness of kids being kids is a gigantic trigger of stress for me right now. I might be calling on mom a few more times before this is all over. I love my girls, but I can't expect them to be silent, which seems to be needed many times throughout the day for me. The noise can become overwhelming.

My dad was really helpful yesterday while I was waiting for my eye doctorappointment. Since I have not been seeing well and cannot drive, Daniel wanted to make sure I was with someone who could take me immediately to the doctor if the pain got worse. And, we didn't know what time my family doctor would be able to get me an appointment with the specialist. This way I was already with someone who could drive me and who could listen to what the doctor had to say in the event that I needed a second pair of ears. Fortunately Daniel got home in time to take me to the doctor, but my dad and I had a good time working on some projects. As always, my dad was straight forward and didn't sugar coat the potential danger of my eye being affected by the Shingles. He basically said I would figure out how to get through life with only one eye. Somehow when he says things they just make sense. Anyone else could have said the same thing and I might have been offended. Coming from my dad, though, I know that what he says is not meant to hurt but to face reality.

Finally, and almost unexpectedly, I have been turning to the people who blog and have Facebook pages. The fitness community is great. I had entered some challenges, not knowing that I wouldn't be able to exercise at all right now. One challenge is being hosted by Fun on a Dime. For eight weeks we are doing various activities and earn points. The hope is that we will all slim down for summer. This morning, at the daily check-in, I mentioned that I can't exercise for an undetermined amount of time due to the Shingles. I was so frustrated, and I think that showed. I am having a hard time feeling like I am a lazy person using my illness as a reason to not exercise. The site leader sent me an incredible message that helped me gain perspective today. She asked if I was doing any slow walking, stretching, or even meditating. When I told her meditating is the only thing I can handle right now, and I HAVE been doing that, she suggested that I give myself points for exercise for the day. I am, in fact, doing what I CAN do right now. I needed that!

All of these people have something in common. They weren't doing anything different than they would usually do. This is their personality. To me, that makes them pretty special. They are definitely angels. I think we are all angels at one time or another. To me, an angel is someone who holds you up when you can't stand on your own.