Since the tragedy in Newtown, I’ve been following some of the Facebook pages dedicated to honoring the victims. When I read a post about handmade angels showing up all over Newtown, I had to find out more.
Carol Leavy was almost a thousand miles away, in Clinton, Iowa, but she mourned like the rest of us did—like neighbors. Plus, her sister lived in Sandy Hook and even worked for the Sandy Hook School District. She often told Carol that the people in that community had become her second family. What could Carol possibly do to help this community that was hurting so deeply? What could anyone do?
Perhaps it was the word anyone that gave Carol the idea: She invited everyone in town to join her at the local museum so she could teach them how to make angels for her “Wings and a Prayer” project. Young and old, the people of Clinton spent one Saturday from 8:00 in the morning till 8:00 at night making hundreds of angels. These messengers of faith, hope and love were shipped off to Carol’s sister, who spread them around Newtown.
Carol had brought one community together to comfort another, and made our world a smaller and more loving place. With the angels of Clinton, Iowa, she had done a lot.
Photo credit: Katie Dahlstrom/Clinton Herald
