ANGELS AMONGST US - Beach Bum or Angel in Waiting? What's the Difference?

It's 3:00pm at the beach and we're about to bring our Stay-cation to an end. We pack up the lean-to/half-tent thingy that the kids just LOVE at the beach. We pack up the sandy towels, the shovels and pails, the fold-away chair and all the shoes. We collect whatever debris we've accumulated and throw it in the trash cans made available for this purpose... it's important to keep the earth clean! I hand the old soul her watering can full of the baby sea shells she collected along with her flip flops and plop the boys into their respective sides of the giant, red, double jog stroller.

Now, for the 1/4 mile trek -- that requires weaving in and out of (as opposed to running over) the other sun-bathers still laying out on their beach blankets enjoying their summer vacation. The trek that takes us back to the boardwalk, pit stopping at the rinsing showers before continuing out to the parking lot where our steaming-hot chariot -- the old mini-van -- waits to carry us home and back to real life. Right? OK, so where was I? The 1/4 mile trek... yes, I exaggerate. Quite a bit as a matter of fact. When I was a kid it might have been a 1/4 mile but what with erosion it's probably 500 feet... Mind you, it's 500 feet with ME pulling the DOUBLE STROLLER packed with beach supplies AND 80 lbs of boys! Don't knock it until you try it!

And, yes... unfortunately, Hubby's back is still out. I'm lucky he even played along with this whole stay-cation thing at all given the amount of discomfort he's been in. So, Daddy and the old soul are walking behind me and I'm pulling. Dragging. Struggling. I should say, I'm huffing and puffing (had their been a brick house I'm sure I'd have knocked it down as hard as I was breathing)! Can't say how "Sarg" was feeling about me doing all the work at that moment BUT, when the skinny little thing... VERY FIT skinny little thing got up and picked up the back end of that stroller -- lifting it straight up out of the sand -- I'm guessing he was feeling a bit emasculated. I was feeling old but thankful! Needless to say, he did not/could not explain WHY he wasn't helping... the fear of throwing his still-not-quite-healed back out again. Fact is, that woman had the power of 10 of me and 5 of him. As she lifted her end and more than her share of the boys' weight she exclaimed cheerily to the boys, "Your Mommy is one strong lady. You boys are very lucky!" I was so winded I couldn't even laugh... could barely thank her... certainly didn't have the wind to carry my end of the stroller and the boys weight and disagree with her at the same time. LOL!!!

We got to just this side of the boardwalk and she put the stroller down -- feigning fatigue, I think -- so I stopped and took a second or two -- or 30 -- to catch my breath, thanked her profusely and told her I could handle it from here. Thanking her again for her help!

I have to say, when I turned around and saw who had been helping me, I was shocked at what a tiny little woman she was! But, you know what? Those angels they have strength beyond their muscles. Beyond their psyches. They have the strength to help those in need -- and let me tell you... I NEEDED help at that moment. Strength that only God can give. And, He doles out that kind of strength happily to His angels who help others here on earth. Thanks to the angel and thanks to God for sending her!!!

Be someone else's angel today.