Angels on Earth

Today Tim told me “My goal is always to positively impact the lives of the people I interact with.”

He said this is because he knows, after everything he saw in the war, that he is only still here by the Grace of God, and that since God granted him these years and this life he has to decide how to live it. And this is the best he can do, as far as he can tell.

I think I want to say first that he’s succeeding.

Tim is at least sixty years old, was in the military, is a Christian, has a wife and two daughters a bit older than me, and is my classmate from German Detective Stories.

He walks me to the bus every day after class, and he walks on the side of me nearest to the road, as outdated and near forgotten etiquette decrees. He told me this is not because he doesn’t believe in Feminism (he’s always raised his daughters to be very independent) but because he believes in showing other people consideration.

Apparently, at some point on one of these walks I said something to the effect of “it can be kind of unnerving walking alone at night.” It was just in passing, and I kept talking and forgot all about it. Tim didn’t just accept that like I did though. The next time we left class he said to me, “I hope I’m not being too forward...but I picked you up a can of pepper spray, because you mentioned sometimes feeling unsafe as a young lady walking alone.” And he handed me a can of pepper spray, admonishing that I be very careful because it was the serious type, from the police station, not just the cheap kind at hardware stores.

This man with next to nothing in common with me makes consistent efforts to improve my life, and goes out of his way to do so, with no agenda other than to do what’s good.

He’s succeeding.

Secondly, this goal and his actions are incredibly admirable.

I love how it feels to do something for someone else, and I thought I did this pretty frequently.

But usually I only help out my friends, and generally only either when I see a blatant opportunity to make a difference or when it’s an especially close friend. Seldom have I done things simply to better the life of someone I’m not connected to.

Tim tries to verbesser (I met him in German class) the life of every single person he encounters, at every opportunity.

I have a lot to aspire to.

And finally, I believe in Angels even if I don’t believe in God. I think they’re the people living their dreams.