‘Tis the season of yet another angel intervention
Our baby Jeffrey, who was diagnosed with SMA in July 1997, made the most of his brief earthly stint. I’ve mentioned before that our SMA duty, which lasted mere weeks between Jeffrey’s diagnosis and his death, enabled us to experience prayer and faith in ways that words can’t describe. Unconditional love, something we’d already grasped, took on new meaning, as did appreciation for the people who came into our lives because of SMA. Oh, the people!
After Jeffrey’s death, I also became aware of signs. I’ve already written about several of these, as I’m always thrilled to share them with anyone who is willing to listen. And there are more! All of them are incredibly reassuring that heaven can’t possibly be so far away after all.
Our involuntary SMA mission also sparked the notion of angel intervention. Gratitude for the idea of guardian angels watching over us never ceases. And earth angels have been busy as usual, too, as another year winds down.
Our 4-legged earth angel
Over the years, our family has enjoyed a multitude of rescue dogs and a cat named Sami. Stray cats and kittens have also popped in often. One of them, a beautiful tabby, showed up and parked himself with ease on our porch. Even after Sami’s wrath rendered the tabby sightless in his right eye, he knew he was (otherwise) in a safe place.
My mother expressed an interest in adopting this gentle boy for her 80th birthday. Wary of how she’d manage a cat weaving around her unsteady feet, I also understood that while my husband, Randy, and I lived nearby, she longed for the comfort of a pet. She named her new roomie “Mitty” and spoiled him rotten. Life was grand, if not sane.
Mitty was a pretty perfect earth angel for Mom. It almost wasn’t a surprise that her right eye, like Mitty’s, developed a corneal lesion on top of glaucoma. She lost all vision in that eye first.
I assured Mom that I would take Mitty if and when it was deemed necessary. I may or may not have mentioned that promise to Randy, but he understood the lack of options. When Mom was admitted to the hospital with COVID-19, I stayed in her apartment at night with Mitty throughout her hospital stay. I remained for several more nights after her subsequent death before moving Mitty home with our dogs, Honey and Maple. The transition was smooth.
It was a bittersweet revelation on November’s final morning that Mitty was ready to say goodbye. I made the dreaded call to the vet’s office, hoping they’d be able to squeeze in our sweet ol’ boy for farewell assistance.
I shouldn’t have worried. They just “happened” to have a cancellation, and I could bring him on over. Randy drove while I held Mitty. The vet’s staff eased the situation as much as possible.
Another unexpected turn of events
I didn’t have much opportunity to mope. As the calendar flipped to December, temperatures plunged and winds raged. Power lines and trees fell again, scrambling school schedules and my “MomMom” duties.
On the fourth bitterly cold day of the month, I pondered waiting until it warmed up to run errands. A nudge (aka angel intervention) led me to go get a driver’s license to replace the one that had vanished days before.
That afternoon, I headed down the mountain after school to take our granddaughter, Clara, to gymnastics. At one left turn, a driver ran a stop sign and hit our car.
I saw it coming but had no time to determine if braking was wise. Thanks to angel intervention, I didn’t (perhaps instinctively) swerve in hopes of avoiding the collision; if I had, I wouldn’t be writing this. Pondering Clara’s fate if I’d done that is unbearable.
Earth angels appeared immediately. One driver stopped to guide the frenzied traffic while another called the sheriff’s department. When I couldn’t find the registration or insurance cards, our insurance company promptly emailed verification. Jill, our alert daughter-in-law, rushed to our house and took a picture of the not-yet-in-effect insurance card; miraculously, I’d known exactly where it was. I did find both essential cards (in a safe place!) and whipped out my brand spankin’ new temporary license printed on a piece of paper.
The officers reporting were kindhearted and concerned. Family members checked on us, offering to pick up at least Clara if they could reach us safely (they couldn’t). Because Randy was out of pocket, our son, Matthew, already up the mountain after work, turned around and came back down the mountain to retrieve us. The officer held up traffic when Matthew came for Clara, who was thriving in the excitement. The tow truck driver secured the car, then delivered me right to the front door of the grocery store where Matthew and Clara waited.
This season, angel intervention and earth angels seem particularly timely. I know, however, that the “season” for both is ongoing.
Merry Christmas.
Note: SMA News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of SMA News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to spinal muscular atrophy.
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