A Host of Guardian Angels

My mother was a saver. A true child of the Depression, she never threw anything away. The memories of hard times stayed too close.

When she died in 1995, I found, amidst the everyday things she had trouble parting with, a house full of treasures: a large doll collection, costume jewelry, and boxes of greeting cards. It would be a lot to wade through.

Mom also had quite an angel collection. Sorting through her things I came across her favorite print, a guardian angel watching over two children crossing a bridge. "It reminds me of watching you kids go off to school," Mom said to me once when we'd admired the picture together. Mom had eight prints of this scene, each a slight variation on the theme. One print for each of her grandchildren, I decided.

But that left me without a print. Or a mother, I thought as I finished sifting through her entire collection. This would not do at all. Lord, help me find just one more copy of this picture she loved so.

I hit the local thrift shops. Angel figurines seemed to jump out at me, and I couldn't say no. Come to find out, the scene on the bridge is one commonly rendered by artists. I'm tempted to bring home every one.

Now I have over 300 angels and several copies of Mom's favorite painting. I'm not the saver she was, but I'm a collector with a house full of treasures.