This is a Pinhole photograph
I had this curious, even mystical experience today, and I don’t know what to make of it. I don’t believe in ghosts, I don’t follow a monotheistic God.
But I do believe in angels, and I wonder if I didn’t encounter one today when I went to Walgreen’s in town to get some bottled water.
I honestly don’t know if I met an angel, but the experience was mystifying. You can make up your own minds.
I went into the store, bought a 24 pack of Poland Spring water bottles, and paid for it and carried it out to my car, which was sitting in the parking lot with Bud sitting solemnly between the seats.
As I carried it out of the store, I noticed a small red Honda sedan pulled up alongside of my car. The woman in the car had stepped out and was smiling and talking to Bud, who loves women, and appreciates being fussed over.
I thought the woman was striking looking, she seemed radiant, warm, very different from other women that I see up here. I just have not ever seen anyone like her around. It seems sexist to talk about how beautiful she seemed, but it’s the truth, she did seem especially beautiful to me, I can’t really say why, I don’t ogle women, I never really did.
But she gave me a powerful smile, and I smiled back. It felt good, that smile.
As I looked down at the bottled water, all wrapped in plastic, I saw a graphic which touted this new “peach flavored,” water and realized I’d bought the wrong water. A silly mistake, it had never happened to me, and I buy bottled water all of the time.
I carried the water pack back into the store to exchange it and told the cashier I’d made a mistake. I didn’t want peach flavored water. I felt foolish, but the cashier agreed it was a mistake and offered me a refund or cash back.
I saw the woman from outside on the other side of the store, she was looking at something 40 or feet away. I reached into my pocket for the receipt and suddenly, this women from outside -,she was wearing a black blouse, beige slacks and soft brown flats – was two feet away from me.
To get there so quickly, she had to have known what I was doing and started walking before I even got to the cash register.
Her hair was brownish/blonde and was pulled back. There was something very charismatic about her.
I was startled when she suddenly appeared right next to me like that – I had just seen her on the other side of the store a second earlier.
She said, “oh, excuse me, I couldn’t help but overhear what you were saying. I just wanted to say that you bought the right water, this is plain water you purchased, the other was just an advertisement on the top of the water bottles.”
I was taken aback, first by her sudden appearance next to me, secondly by the fact that she had heard every word I said from so far away (I spoke quite softly) and finally, because she seemed to know all the details about Poland Spring and its packaging.
She pointed out the clear water in the bottles and reassured me with great confidence that it was clear and plain Spring water. I laughed and said this was probably something I should have figured out by myself, and she laughed and smiled, and then she started to walk away.
“Do you work for Walgreen’s or Poland Springs?,” I asked, “you know so much about their packaging.” She laughed and shook her head. “No,” she said, “I don’t work for anybody, I am always on the road.”
And that was all she said, all I could get out of her.
It was strange, but I felt so good about this woman helping me, and pleased that I had bought the right kind of bottles. I just felt much more excited and pleased that I would normally have been over the purchase of the right bottled water. It was no big deal, but it felt like one.
I started to call Maria to tell he this good news, but then realized how silly that phone call would have seemed to her. Look, Sweetie, I bought the right kind of bottled water! Isn’t that amazing? I put the phone down.
I took my water and carried it back out to the car. I know this woman was behind me when I left because she said goodbye.
As I lifted the rear trunk door to put the water in the back, I was startled again to hear her talking to Bud – he was wiggling his stumpy tail like mad – and again, I was confused and startled, because I know she was behind me and there was no way she could have gotten ahead of me without my knowing it. She was right in front of me.
She smiled at me, and I once again felt this warm and uplifting feeling. There was nothing sexual about this for me, it just felt so positive and uplifting, I felt a warm glow inside of me.
I closed the trunk and got into the car and I waited for her to back out, but she didn’t She was sitting in the car looking at something, so I backed out. As I did, she turned to wave at me, and I thanked her and went home.
I told Maria about this experience right away – she got a little annoyed when I talked about how beautiful this woman was, but we got past that.
She said it was an angel, no question about it, a spirit who wanders place to place doing good and resolving small difficulties and getting people to feel good about themselves.
I thought about this all afternoon, there is no other explanation for me. There is no way she could have heard me across that big space, and how would she possibly know what plain versus flavored Poland Springs Water looked like, or how they advertised, and how did she get to the cash register so fast, and how was she possibly up ahead of me when I got to the car when she was well behind me in the store?
I don’t know, I don’t have a good explanation. Maybe she was an angel who just travels around and is helpful or uplifting to people. I can’t explain the warm glow.
You’ll have to make up your own minds. But I would like to know what you think. Back to Facebook.
I had an interesting experience a few weeks ago. Driving to work, stopped at a red light, first in line. Nobody behind me. My eye was caught by an elderly man crossing the road against the light, no traffic coming his way. I got consumed with wondering where he was going so early and didn’t notice the light had changed. So I didn’t do my regular “gun it when the light changes”. And then a large truck barreled through the red light at a high rate of speed. Had I moved when the light changed, I would have been broadsided. Angel? I think so.
I believe angels walk among us for sure. I was visiting my hometown Queensbury, NY in June from Singapore. I was happy to be home but feeling a little down because it’s just me visiting my children, my husband works in Singapore. My parents have passed and my only brother moved to AZ. Anyways, I was doing a dump run and all of a sudden this elderly man appeared out of nowhere to help me with my garbage, I thanked him and he started to chat with me. He had lost his wife the previous week. I gave him a big hug and started to cry. He was trying to be so strong and here I was feeling sorry for myself because of my loneliness. God sent him to me as a reminder of how truly blessed I am and I will cherish this memory for a long time to come.
True, Carla, angels don’t have to be so literal…
I most definitely believe in angels. I believe they are sent to do God’s work…..good work. I believe you experienced one today.
Interesting. Yes, could have been an angel. Who’s to say?
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story. I believe you met an angel.
Of course she was an angel. You can always tell. I have had encounters and they are always striking and fast! Lol. There is an old negro spiritual that says, “God is trying to tell me something.” Bud was fortunate too that she was checking up on him. She may have checked on him when he was in that awful man’s place when he was younger. Blessing to you my friend.
She was definitely an angel. I am most certain that angels often come to shower us with their warm and loving energy and to do just what this angel did today. A small act of kindness. Angels can also do huge miraculous things but not always and the blessing of this kind of experience you had today is that only those who are sensitive, tuned in and present would appreciate this kind of subtle encounter and recognize it for what it is. Good job. How exciting and what an affirmation of who you have become. I just love this stuff. Check out Lorna Byrne. She is a wonderful Irish woman who specializes in angels. She sees and communicates with them every minute of every day and writes books and gives presentations to share the blessings. There are many who do what she does but she is one that comes to mind right now. So much fun.
I’ve always believed in angels, but I don’t know why…I can’t account for this small encounter in any other way..
I’d trust my gut on this. I’m not a religious person either….but I do believe in things like this and I think a person knows it in their core when they’ve had an encounter. Pretty cool.
Good grief. If angels actually existed, I imagine that they’d have better things to do than reassure peopke about bottled water.
Really?, that’s stern, I think that’s not the point of it, if they exist, the idea would be to touch the people they happen to come across in ways that are mystical and uplifting. I doubt any angel would travel because of bottled water, I think they would travel to spread good feelings and energy to people, and help them in big and small ways. They might, for example, make some people less grouchy…:)
Good job, Jon. I guess I need more therapy. My response would have been so much less kind and diplomatic. If I hadn’t embraced the magic inherent in life and kept that in my heart I would have surely jumped off a bridge, a high bridge, a long time ago.
Stay with us, Wendy, We need you..
If she was really an angel she would have explained to you that single use plastic is killing our planet. Please stop buying bottled water.
Good Lord, Debrah, lighten yourself up…if she was an angel, she wouldn’t let other people tell her what to say and do. Neither do I. Humorlessness can also be wicked…Please spare me from grim people giving lectures..the scourge of our times (along with plastic…)
It sounds like an angel to me! That’s a wonderful experience!
Perhaps this angel came to you, like you said, to celebrate you and bringing good feelings to you about yourself. You do so many ordinary things, every day, which are extraordinary in their selflessness. I’m thinking she was just illuminating the small act of a water purchase as a way to reward your actions. How fortunate and lovely an encounter.
How you felt pretty much says it all. Their heart lights are turned on for sure. I didn’t start out intending to believe in angels but a near-death will make it pretty clear.
I met an angel working behind the counter at the tire store, the ordinary places ARE where they touch us. And of course you exemplify understanding how the ordinary, small acts do touch people and lift them up.
A beautiful thing you and Bud got to share. It amplifies the light in your heart and carries you forward in your work.
During a difficult time time in my life I started an angel list. All the people that God brought into my life where they did these little acts of kindness not knowing what had happened and what I was going through are on this list. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Jon,
Absolutely an angel. I have been reading your books and blog since 2007. Your soul expansion and evolution over the years is extraordinary, especially recently. Very admirable. Perhaps this angel came along as encouragement that you are on the right track and to keep going?
The Bible says we may entertain angels unaware…Hebrews 13:2
Hi Tina. Thank you for the verse. ✝️? God cares about the little and the big things. 1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your care upon him for He cares for you.”
I think there are angels. One wintry day I was driving between Cambridge and Greenwch and I hit an ice patch and spun 180 degrees and landed unhurt, but in a snowbank in the wrong direction. Almost immediately 3 young men were there and turned my car around. I briefly looked to see if my car was okay and looked up to thank them—and they were gone. This happened 40 years ago and I have never forgotten my angels.
Jon, you met an angel! Your sharing of this event gave me goosebumps and reminded me of two events in my life when I was helped by angels. This was a special gift to you and to all who read your journal daily. Thank you!
You deserve an angel to brighten your day for all you do to help others. Thank you
There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio…………..
Wow, Jon! So many comments! I don’t think you’ve ever had this many responses.
I, too, have had angel experiences. I truly believe this is what happened to you!
Actually, I get a lot more when I write about dogs, but this is nice..I think I’ll do more angel writing.
To the folks who responded rather snidely that angels, if they do exist, would have more important things to do as they walk among us than making sure we were purchasing the right bottled water? Well, let me pose this question: if angels could perform miracles, then we would be living in utopia. I believe there are angels, or kindly spirits among us who simply help us get through our days. I don’t think I actually believe in miracles in the spectacular sense of the word. I think when something is proclaimed a miracle, it is really just something or someone being in the right place at the right time–coincidental happenstance or serendipity or whatever you want to call it. But angels or spirits among us? Yep. Absolutely.
I think this is wise and true, Marsha, I think it’s narrow to think an angel is sitting up there deciding to come down and help me buy bottled water..I think if there are angels they are simply on the lookout for ways to be helpful. The most interesting thing for me is how strongly I reacted to her, and how good I felt, as if I had been lifted up and blessed..that was really an unusual thing, and I have no explanation for it…It was a big deal, no matter what the cynics say…I’ve done a lot of sneering at things in my life, I’ve given it up.
I get pretty provoked when I see the guy on television who missed his flight for a plane that crashed proclaim it an act of God. Because then you have to look at it conversely and conclude that it was also God that let all of the other passengers perish. It just doesn’t make sense to me. I think very pragmatically which is why I have always had an issue with organized religion. And yet I so fervently believe in kindred spirits because there have been times when I truly believe someone has been looking out for me. Thank you for responding by the way. Read your stuff pretty much every day but rarely comment.
I think it was Einstein who said “There are only two ways to live your life: as though nothing is a miracle, or as though everything is a miracle.”
Of course, he also said “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So is a lot.”
I think she was part of your committee Jon. I call them the committee. I believe there is a group of angels that follow your life on Earth. They visit you in dreams and in “real life” to let you know you are on the right track. I met mine, a circle of them, when I was anesthetized during dental surgery. It’s a long story, the short of it was I met them and they were there to tell me I was doing a good job. I felt the same feeling you did when you met your Angel.
I truly believe, she is one of your personal angels, that is why you had such a strong reaction.
By letting you know you were making the “right choice” about the bottled water, she was letting you know you have been making the right choices for your path.
Beautiful Jon.
I wonder if perhaps the water part was just a way to continue the interaction with you? To ensure that she had gotten your attention and give you a chance to ponder what you experienced. Maybe the fact that she was initially talking to Bud is significant. And that you witnessed it. I fully believe in angels. Unfortunately I think we have become so distracted that we don’t always notice. This is a great lesson in paying attention, you never know who may cross your path.
This: ” I’ve done a lot of sneering at things in my life, I’ve given it up.”
Life is so much better when we expand and live and breathe spirituality. We see more magic and beauty and connection.
And “why me?” “becomes why not me?” It makes you not want to grind on people as “the other” and realize there by the grace of Whomever go I.
I wonder if perhaps the water part was just a way to continue the interaction with you? To ensure that she had gotten your attention and give you a chance to ponder what you experienced. Maybe the fact that she was initially talking to Bud is significant. And that you witnessed it. I fully believe in angels. Unfortunately I think we have become so distracted that we don’t always notice. This is a great lesson in paying attention; you never know who may cross your path.
And maybe it wasn’t about the water. Maybe, like some other stories here, there was a blessing in delaying your departure. Maybe there was a drunk driver, or a criminal looking to rob someone, or any other number of misfortunes that might have crossed your path had she not caught your attention, even for a very short time. You’ll never know what might have happened, but you were left whole and feeling blessed. Sounds angelic to me.