The Angel Guard

From Penguins and Golden Calves: Icons and Idols in Antarctica and Other Unexpected Places , by the late great Madeleine L’Engle.

Children are often better believers than we are. A young friend of mine who works in a day-care center one day overheard a little boy say, “I want to die,” and he meant it. She swept him into her lap to try and find out what was wrong that he should feel and say such a thing … Everything was wrong. His parents were drinking, fighting, screaming, throwing furniture. His anguish at the violence at home had focused into a terror that someone was going to come take him away in the night. My young friend said to him, “I’m going to fix that for you. I’m going to send four guardian angels, one to stand at each corner of your bed. They will spread their wings around you, and you will be enclosed in their love, and no one will be able to take you away.”

The next morning when he came to the day-care center she hurried to him, asking, “How did it go last night?”

He responded very seriously, “I think we can cut down on the angel guard. One will be enough. The flapping of their wings kept me awake.”

My parents and I went to go hear Madeleine speak at the university in Rhode Island – it was a small crowd – maybe 100 people – I had come home just for that. I got to meet her, and shake her hand. She talked for an hour or so – and one of the anecdotes she shared was the story above. She was talking about creativity, belief – the ability artists must have to just play make-believe – with no fear or self-judgment. I love that story. I had already corresponded with her – I still have this beautiful letter she wrote to me in response to one of mine – her stationary is a pale pale pale blue – and across the top, in simple darker blue letters is just “Madeleine”. No last name. I loved that.

Madeleine.