Angels

Note: I've been trying to write this post since Friday.  I wanted to make sure I truly I capture the spirit of these wonderful, beautiful women who have so influenced my life and those of my children.

There is a song sung by Kathy Mattea called "Sending me Angels" and I've always loved this song. My wonderful awesome all mighty God has always sent me angels. He knows what I need when I need it. Two of my favorite Angels in human form came through another angel but I'll get to her later.

The chorus is below:
He keep sending me angels From up on high
He keeps sending me angels To teach me to fly
He keeps sending me angels Sweet and true
He keeps sending me angels Just like you (Jerry Lynn Williams/Frankie Miller)
I was new in Pottstown, PA and I was working in a real estate office. During this time I was also a divorced mother to my oldest two sons. I had not yet met my husband. As any mother can imagine working full time, raising 2 boys under age 4 and taking computer training left little time for keeping house. My mother decided after her first trip up from South Carolina I needed a housekeeper. God bless her.

The angel I worked for recommended this little tiny spit fire of a woman named Alice. Alice was a whirlwind. She worked the details out with my mother and came to my house 3 times a week. She cleaned everything, did all the laundry and just basically kept my home on the good side of DYFS standards (she didn't come everyday and I was exhausted).

About this time I got a new job. I became the Help Desk manager at Immaculata College. I also failed to notice a note at the boys' preschool alerting me they were going to be closed one day. Until I showed up that morning to a locked daycare. I went back home devastated. I had just started this job what was I going to do? Alice had the answer "I'll call my sister Hazel. She's raised half of Pottstown.". Hazel was free was was thrilled to keep D& J she had a special place in her heart for fatherless children.  And with that began a lifelong relationship.  She became their adopted grandmother of sorts. Grandmother you say, oh yeah did I forget to mention their ages?  Alice was the little sister at 72 when she entered my life and Hazel was the oldest at 78. 
Hazel had in fact raised more than half of Pottstown and she also raised more than half of my children.  She was our much-more-than-a-nanny Nanny for 8 years.  She kept the boys when I went to the hospital to deliver the Boo man.  She loved my little blonde J like he was the only kid she'd ever had.  He was her absolute favorite of all the probably hundreds of kids she did raise.  She came with me for the Boo man when my job took me to Groton, CT 5 days a week for 4 months.  She argued with D over the mere existence of dinosaurs, "That's a bunch of hooey." she said.  Which were (and are) fighting words to D.  She let nothing go to waste.  She would show up at the house with home made banana bread "Because I bought too many bananas."  I guess that's what one does when they live through the Great Depression.  She had one great love.  He was in Heaven waiting on her for over 30 years.  But he made sure she was taken care of.  And now she's been in Heaven for more than 4 years.  And I really do miss her, still.  I think she would have loved watching our Princess grow up.

When she was with our family, she was also much more than a Nanny to another fatherless child. She was truly an angel who helped me produce the wonderful teenaged sons I have now.