Angels Unaware
[Brought to you by the weekly SS blog challenge.]

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The challenge:
Write about an event in your life that you were directly impacted by, whether you were on the receiving end, or on the giving end. Tell us about an act of selflessness, an act of bravery, an act of servitude...

Tell us about the woman who comforted your lost child at Walmart until you could be reunited. Tell us about the man who picked up your dinner tab and didn't stick around to be thanked. Tell about the time you scared a bunch of bullies away from a trembling puppy, or the kids you saw hanging out at the bus stop way after the school bell rang, and how you kept an eye on them until the bus finally arrived. Dig deep into your memory bank and recall the little miracles that have happened in your life at the hands of total strangers. Remember the little miracles you've been a part of, simply because you listened to your inner voice. We've all been touched. Share YOUR story.

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I'm going to deviate a bit from Stacy's probable intent with this challenge. And, as usual, I'm not going with the first idea I had in response to reading the challenge. That seems to happen every week.

I believe that the angels that have had the most influence in my life are my two boys, Lane and Levi. Now, before you go thinking I'm calling them angels in the precious, little cherubs sense of the word ... stop. Remember, Satan was an angel, too. No, my two angels are more of the tarnished halo, dirty robes and unkempt wings variety. Think John Travolta in the movie Michael.

What is an angel?
(Excerpts from some random website when doing a Google search "What is an angel?")

1. A spiritual being that is believed to be much more powerful than a human.
The boys definitely have super-human powers. The power to drive a mother mad beyond belief. The power to baffle and confuse. The power to amaze, amuse and aggravate. The power to melt a heart with a single hug.

2. Angels are composed of ethereal matter, thus allowing them to take on whichever physical form best suits their immediate needs.
Physical form? No. Behavioral form? Absolutely! Ever see a kid that wants something? Talk about taking on whatever form best suits his immediate needs!

3. In Christian, Muslim, Jewish and other theologies an angel can be one who acts as a messenger.
Hmmm. Ever see a boy whose brother has just committed some crime that's going to earn him a beating? Mercury the winged messenger couldn't make better time in delivering the news.

4. A fallen angel is often classed as a devil, like Satan himself.
There you go. They're not quite Satan, just a couple of his minions.

5. Although angels are generally divine, they have been shown to be fallible and prone to sin.
None of us has the time for me to cover all the ways in which this one fits!

In addition to the above, my two angels really have affected my life in more varied, and more profound, ways than all of the other angels who have touched me combined. Having them has changed the entire course of my life. If not for them, I'd still be plodding away in the corporate harness. If not for them, I'd never have learned the hundreds of things that I have in the last fourteen years. If not for them, I would have loved, laughed, cried and lived less. My house would be cleaner. I'd be richer, thinner and better rested. I probably wouldn't have any grey hair. But without them, I would have missed out on the most meaningful experiences of my life to date.