When I was little, my mother was a pretty wild woman. She would hang out at the bars and loved to party. I saw a lot of things a little kid shouldn’t see, but I learned a lot too.
Shortly after my 14th birthday, my mother did something I never thought she would. She became a born-again Christian. It was then that she began collecting angels as a way to keep her and her family surrounded with love.
Most of her collectible angels were found at garage sales and thrift stores. In her eyes, it was an angel who was in need of a new home and she had just the place to put it. A lot of these were ceramic or porcelain, but she had a few wooden ones as well.
Mom also loved her brooches. She had a bunch of them, but some of her favorites were the little angels she’d picked up along her travels. She and my dad had this thing where they’d just jump in the van and drive. No destination, just go wherever the winds may take them. Yea, mom was a hippie. But wherever they went, they’d find a mom-and-pop shop or a flea market and just stroll. Mom always found a new angel brooch.
Her other love of angels was in the form of Christmas Tree toppers. I think mom had three or four different ones. She only used one on the top of the tree, but the others were always scattered around the room during Christmas. I think that’s only because Dad wouldn’t let her have more than one tree.
Growing up, I watched my mother go from being a wild party girl to a woman of God. She believed in her faith and she believed that her angels would keep her safe. When she passed, I ended up with all of her angels. Though I gave a lot of them to family and friends, I kept a few that I knew were her favorites. And sometimes, when I look at her angels, I can still see my mother’s smile.
This one’s for you, Mom. I miss you and love you always. I know you’re finally singing with the angels in Heaven.
