Killing It In My Sixties

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Since the divorce, her mom and dad never seemed to be around – especially on a Friday night.  Squatting on the stair post of the upstairs landing, I watched Dan and Pete lead Missy and her best friend, Katy to the bright, cheerful green and white gingham-checked bedroom.  Dan’s crush on Katy had taken on epic proportions by his freshman year in high school, and he seemed intent on making his move that night.  On the other hand, Missy, at thirteen years old, was just recently outgrowing her glasses and braces awkward-phase.

My angelic stomach tightens; sensing that this is not a situation that Missy is, in any way prepared for. A full nine months older, Katy is way ahead on her adolescent maturity and sexual awareness, whereas Missy is interested in – but still afraid of – boys.  Dan and Pete; one year older than both girls, are bursting with testosterone energy and pseudo-confidence.  The two teenage boys had hatched a plan earlier in the evening to suggest playing a game up in Missy’s room, in order to get some alone time with the girls.

After some awkward standing around and kicking at the lime-green shag carpet, Dan invited Katy to see his “cool” room down at the other end of the hallway.  As they disappear into the dark, Pete takes a seat on the quilted bedspread, pushing aside the bright yellow happy-face fur pillow, and pats the spot next to him. Though naive, Missy appeared nervous about sitting down – on a bed – with a boy – her gut told her this was a no-no for a good Catholic girl.

As an angel, and a GA at that, one can’t jump on the bed to create a distraction, or magically have the errant mother return home.  My job is to guide Missy and be a benevolent presence in spirit and faith.  So I wait, observing the gangly young man making small talk for a bit until he rises to turn off the lights.  I can see the street lights casting a faint shadow across the bed. As an angel, who sees all, I can tell Missy is terrified.  Pete starts to kiss her clumsily and with more saliva than she knew existed in a mouth.  As Pete’s hand reached to fondle her left breast – Missy jumps up and utters, “Uhhhh… no – no” and turned the bright overhead light back, running quickly downstairs.

That’s good Missy! Good instincts – the channeling I was putting out worked!  As a Guardian  Angel, one never knows what barriers will be thrown up against a red flag.  But Missy had trusted her gut and stopped Pete’s less than honorable intentions in his tracks.  She was still young and not yet desperate for a man’s attention or affection.  Looking back on Missy’s life – this would come to be known as “the first of many” opportunities for a man’s favor in the form of sexual attention.  

My attention as a GA, was needed again not long after, when Missy’s brother Dan, berated her the next morning for embarrassing Pete and more importantly – embarrassing him, by turning down his best friend’s sexual advances.  Missy sat in her bed, stunned, red-faced and struggling for words as he paced back and forth telling her what a baby she was and that she better grow up quick or no one would ever want her.  I tried to wrap Missy in the comfort of my spirit to let her know that it was those two boys who should have been embarrassed not her!  My hope, was that this would not cloud her judgement in future similar situations that she would inevitably encounter in life.

But my gut said, “No – I am an experienced GA – this is only the start”. I sense that Missy will be giving me her lifetime of opportunities to guide and protect her. And – I wasn’t wrong. 

Dear Gentle Reader: Being a Guardian Angel is pretty much a full time job depending on who your charge is.  Angels work their way up the ranks based on the success or failure of their previous earth beings. Starter angels are usually assigned to people with relatively sedate and less challenging lives.  Sure –  they will have some hiccups throughout the years that provide the much-needed experience to advance in future assignments. Perhaps they will oversee and guide situations such as a child experiencing the loss of a beloved pet. Or maybe a woman who suffers a miscarried pregnancy.

But an experienced Guardian Angel, (GA) has already seen, heard and protected their people through unimaginable experiences for an infinite period of time.  They’ve been on the battle fields filled with wounded, if not decimated, bodies of soldiers and civilians.  Veteran GA’s have gone down with the jet, wretched through the side effects of chemotherapy, and sat perched on a child’s bed at night as they cry themselves to sleep after being belted on their bare behind.

Have you tuned in to your Guardian Angel lately? They are always with us – even when it feels like we are alone.