Today’s guest-blogger is Angels on Earth editorial assistant Kelly P. Gallagher.
When my friend Charissa asked me to be a bridesmaid, I was honored. Of course I would stand beside her on her wedding day!
The other bridesmaids and I helped her plan for months. Finally the big day came. But when I woke up that morning, I was exhausted. The night before, we’d spent hours frosting cupcakes, printing out programs and making last-minute arrangements with the photographer. Plus, we were having some ill luck: bad weather, long lines of traffic, miscommunication with the groomsmen… I was happy to help my friend, but it was hard not to get stressed amid the chaos.
Raindrops hit the car window as we began the long drive to the wedding site. I was getting a headache. Another girl was worried about the song she was scheduled to perform during the ceremony. Even Charissa was getting cranky from the stress. What else can go wrong? I worried. Will this all work out?
The bride’s sister pulled the car into an intersection. I looked up and saw something strange by the red light. What was that? I leaned forward to see better and realized I was looking at an angel! The city had installed a heavenly angel onto a street lamp.
He was made of metal and wore a big goofy grin. I found myself grinning, too. Sure, a lot of things had gone wrong. But as long as I kept a smile on, I could help steer things right! I decided that I would think positively the rest of the day. Maybe that would help to bring up everyone’s spirits. Thanks to that street art angel, I was able to coax a smile out of the stressed-out bride. Then a laugh! When we arrived at the wedding site, we’d all forgotten the frustrations of the morning.
The music was perfect. The flower girls looked like little angels. And, most importantly, the bride and groom were thrilled. So was I. My angel sighting came at the perfect time to remind me that when you keep a smile on, you can weather any storm.