They say you shouldn’t borrow trouble from tomorrow, because today has enough worries of its own. I say you shouldn’t borrow trouble from tomorrow, because if trouble comes, so will an angel, who is just waiting for an opportunity to lend a helping hand.
I received two letters recently from people who got to witness the beauty of angels in action.
“I was driving home today behind a MAT bus. I had thought about going around, as several cars ahead of me had done, but the driver turned on his signal, so I waited … and waited.
“I assumed someone was running for the bus, or that someone had just realized they were at their stop. We were at an intersection, and I noticed a car sitting at the stop sign to our right.
“The young lady driving the car hopped out, waved to the bus, and ran in front of it. I edged over to see what was going on. A woman in a wheelchair had gotten off the bus, but her chair was stuck in the snow.
“The young lady freed the woman from the snow and waved the bus on. I stopped and waited, as did the traffic coming from the other direction, as the young lady helped the woman in the wheelchair cross the street.”
– Karen, Fargo
“Nicole, my 77-year-old mom from Hope, N.D., made plans to see her kids on the West Coast this winter: Her daughter and two grandkids in California, her granddaughter and first grandson in Colorado, her oldest son in Seattle, who has terminal cancer, and lastly, her brother and sister-in-law in Arizona. Unexpected changes in health for her son and brother caused a number of flight changes for my mom.
“She was very nervous about the airline change in Phoenix, but first she had to make a connection in Denver. When she got on the plane, my mom was seated next to a very chatty lady named Ann.
“Ann was supposed to be seated elsewhere, but a father and son wanted to sit together so Ann ended up next to my mom. I was so happy when my mom said Ann was talkative because it seems like most people flying today don’t want to talk at all (I’m guilty of this too).
“They visited the whole trip. Mom expressed to Ann her nervousness and Ann told my mom that she would help get her luggage at the baggage claim. She also explained to my mom how the boarding process works for Southwest – different from other airlines. From there, Ann walked with my mom to baggage claim and helped her get her bags.
“Ann then took my mom to the shuttle that would take her to Terminal 4, where her flight would depart. Ann asked the shuttle driver to make sure my mom knew when he arrived at that terminal and to please help her with her luggage.
“Ann gave my mom a hug. The driver did as Ann asked and my mom safely made her way to terminal 4, boarded Southwest and flew to California.
“I wish I knew Ann’s last name (my mom thought she was from Wisconsin). I would like to thank her for everything, from taking the time to talk to a nervous grandma to going above and beyond anything I could have imagined.”
– Sandy Trautmann, Larimore, N.D.
Thank you, Karen and Sandy, for sharing your stories of angels in action.
We can live our lives worrying about how we are going to get from Point A to Point B, or we can trust that we have deposited enough kindness into this world that some of it is bound to bounce back to us just when we need it.
Please continue to share your stories of kindness with me at info@nicolejphillips.com. Or send a letter to Kindness is Contagious c/o Nicole J. Phillips, The Forum, 101 5th St. N., Box 2020, Fargo, ND, 58107.
Nicole J. Phillips is a former television anchor for Fox News in Fargo. She is an author, speaker and mother of three kids. Nicole is married to Bison men’s head basketball coach Saul Phillips. Her columns run every Saturday.
