Angel on my Shoulder

When I was a little girl, I used to believe that everyone had an angel in heaven that wrote down everything you did. I don't remember where I got the notion but it had a lot to do with my being a very well-behaved (not perfectly behaved) child. Somewhere along the way I realized the impossibility of this condition and continued down the merry road of my life without my angel.

There are many times when I wish I had a guardian angel, though, just to help me avoid the little pitfalls that jump up in front of me sometimes. Wouldn't it be nice if we did have an angel to help keep us from some of the mistakes we tend to make. Life sure would be easier. I'm thinking of this past Saturday as I write this. After getting soaked to the skin standing under a tent at our farmer's market for two hours, I went home, dried off, picked up my grown (impatient) son and drove to see my parents.

It was pouring rain. My parents moved earlier this year and now live in Snellville, an area with which I am totally unfamiliar. As I crawled north on I-85, swam on 285, and floated over Highway 78, I finally came to their exit. At this point I picked up my index card with directions and between the first and second turn I was supposed to make, my son snatched the card to read the directions so all I had to do was drive. This is where I needed my angel. We missed that second turn. We drove and drove through the pouring rain and because we were in a new land, we didn't know we were lost until we crossed back over I-85. No big deal--just call my dad and he'll tell me how to get to them. Now, I really needed my angel. In giving directions, my dad thought I was travelling in one direction when in reality I was traveling in the opposite. It didn't take long for his directions to fail and we ended in some cute little downtown area of an unknown town. I couldn't tell my dad where I was so he couldn't tell me how to get unlost.

By now my son was ready to disown me (claiming no part in being lost) and he was becoming grumpier by the minute. Luckily, there was a police station and an officer on duty who was helpful. We finally arrived at my parents about an hour late. We had a pleasant, though shorter, visit and made the return trip without any missed turns. It was an exhausting day. If only I had had my angel to remind me to take that second turn. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have an angel on your shoulder to whisper in your ear just before you make those little mistakes?