Tuesday, April 14, 2015

EA'S ARE NOT OF THE PAST...THEY ARE ALIVE AN WELL...

Hi, All,

It's been many months since I have posted about an Earthly Angel. This very rare breed of human thankfully still does exist, however they are getting much harder to spot these days with all the unhappiness in the world.

Today's Angel hails from Chicago. Yes, imagine an EA gracing one of THE MOST DANGEROUS and CORRUPT cites in the country. But, she does...

Her story was told to me by a close friend. Imagine working all day on your feet. Your ten hour shift is up and you drag your tired body to the bus stop. The chilly wind whips around your face and neck sending shivers to your already trembling body. The beacon you've been waiting for screeches to a halt. You hear the familiar ding of your chariot as it lowers itself to accommodate the bedraggled mass of bodies. You are fourth in the queue, anxiously waiting to hoist your exhausted body onto the already overcrowded bus.

A small miracle occurs. A seat opens in front of you. Always the gentleman, you look around to see if a senior's needs are greater than yours. You hold your breath. Everyone around you is at least two decades younger. You drop hard without pocketing your wallet. Eyes closed you drift.

On occasion, your slitted eyes open briefly. A few blocks more. Your stop is announced, and zombie-like, you rise from the dead. As you step down to street level, the doors slam shut,  and you take your first step as the fumes from the departing vehicle assaults your nose.

Instinctively you pocket your phone. You realize something is missing. No familiar bulge. It hits you like a runaway freight liner truck. Your wallet. With eyes popping open to three times their natural size, you rush into your building. You frantically push the call button for the elevator an uncountable amount of times.

It comes.

You pace.

Each floor taking longer than the previous.

You curse under your breath that you live on the seventeenth floor.

It stops.

You rush to your front door and fumble with your keys....

Then the real terror begins. Canceling out your life.

The next morning, all but one fragment of your former existence is left to cancel: your driver's license. You grind your teeth just thinking what you had to do to replace it. Hours at the DMV.

After a few hours working, the time ticks closer to 9:00 am. You pick up the phone at exactly 9:01, but don't place the call. I'll do it later.

An odd thing happens within a few minutes. Your cell rings. Raising a brow you glance at the unfamiliar number. No one ever calls you at this hour. But despite your hesitance, you answer it.

Your jaw drops.

You hyperventilate.

You catch your breath and mumble, "Thank you. I'll be there as soon as possible."

A transit worker found your wallet.

You breathe normally for the first time in seventeen hours.

When my friend retrieved his wallet, he was shocked and DELIGHTED to see that everything, including all his cash, was still in tact. Of course he offered this lovely woman a reward, but being the Earthly Angel that she was, she smiled and said,"No thank you, Sir. This is part of my job. I was just happy to be the one who found it."

When my friend returned home, he found several messages left on his voicemail at home. Apparently she went to the extra trouble to locate his cell number, so that he wouldn't worry all day.

He, as well as I, will never forget the kindness of this honest and sweet woman. I said a prayer for her when I learned of this story and my friend plans to make a small donation in her name to a worthy charity.

So friends, whenever you get tired of hearing about murder, robbery, etc. on the news, REMEMBER there are still Earthly Angels among us. Thank God.

It felt good to write this post. It certainly put a smile on my face and I hope it brings some happiness your way....




31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow...a good news story in a Bad News world. Thanks for that.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That is really amazing. Sad that turning in a lost wallet without taking something isn't the norm. But she went above and beyond trying to track him down.

Jemi Fraser said...

Awesome! Another reminder the world is filled with more good people than we sometimes expect. Thanks so much for sharing! :)

Unknown said...

What an amazing story! I just wish it weren't so rare.

Joanne said...

excellent story and I do believe there are more good people than bad. The bad just tend to monopolize the news

Julie Flanders said...

A wonderful and uplifting story. It's always so great to read about people like this. Thanks for sharing and for telling the story so beautifully.

Chrys Fey said...

That was an awesome and awe-inspiring story. There needs to be more people like this out there. Thanks so much for sharing with this us!

Jo said...

Great story. I just lost a diamond earring, I could do with an EA.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Their are still people like that. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

How much of our lives reside in our wallets. I pray that The Father blesses this woman in ways that she needs most. Thanks for visiting my blog today. :-)

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Michael, what a lovely story! Losing a wallet or purse is a terrible blow. Your earth angel is a very special lady! Thanks for sharing the story and thanks for visiting my blog!

David P. King said...

Losing my wallet is one of my worst fears. How wonderful that this wallet was returned when it could have very easily disappeared off the face of the earth. Well done! :)

DEZMOND said...

we need more angels and more of your avatar pic biceps, Mikey... nom nom nom

L. Diane Wolfe said...

What a wonderful person! She really was an angel to track him down like that. And the comment above me is disturbing...

Ella said...

Thank you, Michael! We need to hear more of these stories~
I am so happy you dropped by and I stopped over to visit you~
She really was an EA!

I hope you are doing well

Denise Covey said...

You found a real living EA there Michael! What a lot of angst she saved you. You'll be forever grateful. :-)

Stephanie Faris said...

Great story! I've gone out of my way to return things I've found before numerous times. I believe it all comes back around to us. Live a good life and do good things and good things will happen to you. I like to believe that, anyway...

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Michael - thankfully Angels do exist .. and what very happy ending ... lovely to read .. and cheers me up too .. cheers Hilary

Nicki Elson said...

Yay! I'm clapping over here. How wonderful for her to go the extra step of getting in touch as soon as she could. People like that definitely warm my heart - and inspire me to be more like them.

On another note---your writing is so, so lovely. I've deprived myself of it for too long.

Karen Lange said...

I love stories like this. Kindness and decency do still exist. Just about the time you think very few have a conscience, you hear a heartwarming story along these lines. Thanks for sharing!

LD Masterson said...

When I worry that God must be very discouraged with his children, I pray that He sees people like this and takes comfort in them.

Mark Means said...

I always love hearing things like this. Especially when it comes from the most unexpected of places.

Glad the wallet was recovered and, even better, a person of character was discovered :)

Cathrina Constantine said...

What a wonderful post, Michael!! I truly believe there are more EA's than bad people in the world.

Hart Johnson said...

SO NICE when it works out that way. I've had it happen, but I live in a smaller place. Are you friends with Becky Kyle? On Facebook she shares Hero of the Day a lot--very much in this same spirit.

Hart Johnson said...

SO NICE when it works out that way. I've had it happen, but I live in a smaller place. Are you friends with Becky Kyle? On Facebook she shares Hero of the Day a lot--very much in this same spirit.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

I've met a few of these angels. The sweet thing is they don't seem to realize just how wonderful they are.

Connie said...

What a great story! It's always good to hear there are still good people out doing good deeds.

Rachna Chhabria said...

There are quite a few EA's in the world and they make the world a better place to live in!

Mark Koopmans said...

Thanks for sharing, Michael!

You certainly got my Monday morning off to a better start:)

DEZMOND said...

pray,do tell us, why would it be disturbing. I find your comment on it deeply offensive and also deeply uncaught, L.Diane Wolfe.

Deniz Bevan said...

Love hearing good stories like this. And kindness comes around. I remember smiling at a girl in a food court who was taking the seat I was leaving -- later realised I'd left my purse behind! Ran to security, and the girl had turned it in. Aww :-)