Angels Among Us.

So, I used to have this friend, Julie. We weren't what I would call my bestie, but I felt close with her during my last couple of years in college. She actually was the best friend of my oldest friend. But, that's just sending it around too much. 

Anywho. Julie was a wonderful person. She always had something positive to say, at least to me, about EVERYONE. She was someone that was constantly lighting up a room and convincing people to follow the path they truly felt they needed to be on. She was quite remarkable. I reference her in the past tense because she is, sadly, no  longer with us. 

One of the most kind acts she would bestow upon me, personally, was that she would call me every now and again and just talk. She would extend her warm, caring sympathetic voice with such ease and grace and would just let me know that I had a friend. There was always advice given and her own personal experiences could be shared in such a way that wasn't bragging or showing off, just things she felt relevant to help me out. Coincidentally, these phone calls would occur around times that I felt myself in utter chaos, moments of despair, or just times when I was low. She always found a way to lift my spirits and inspire me to forge the road ahead. 

Well, it's been about a year and a half since she passed on, and one thing I miss tremendously is those phone calls. I still have her number in my phone and occasionally, I will look at her number and wish I could still speak with her. Especially today. Lately, I've just felt so lost and as though I don't know what I'm doing with my life. And so, I looked at her number in my phone and then headed down the steps to board my train to take me back to harlem for the night. As I was sitting on the train organizing my thoughts, a girl got on, and sat across from me. As I studied her, I realized I was looking at someone who looked a considerable amount like Julie. The hair was different and she never would have worn such a trendy "east village" ensemble, but the face and smile and color of hair were almost like I remembered her. 

I know that I've never seen this girl before in my life. My eyes fixated on hers for what seemed like an eternity, and she never broke contact. She looked right back at me as if she could see inside my soul. After only two stops she stood up to exit the train. Just as the doors were closing, she turned back and looked at me and I could see her watching me leave, and it was almost like she disappeared into thin air as the train pulled me away. 

The crazy thing about it is that I felt better almost immediately. It was as if Julie had been there the whole time. I felt warm and tingly inside. It made me think that maybe she is still around watching over all of the people she knew. Protecting them, or just making them feel at ease. The entire scenario was just plain eerie.

I don't know if I believed in angels when I was younger, but I do now. As I've gotten older, I've been in situations in which I believe there was some kind of powerful intervening force protecting me. I also believe there are angels that walk among us to help us along the way. I believe the woman I saw on the train might be one of them. Even though we never spoke, she brought me more peace than I have known in awhile.