This is an original idea. Comments are welcome.
Look for the Angel in the Corner
Along time ago when I was seven years old, I was alone in my room trying to go to sleep while a thunderstorm was making a lot of noise outside. In my seven year old mind, the lightening and the thunder was the loudest I had ever heard and I was sure it was going to tear down our house. I closed my eyes tightly and tried to block out the sounds and brightness that was coming into my, but it didn't seem to work. Finally, after keeping my eyes shut so tight they started to hurt I opened my eyes and at that very moment a lightning bolt shot through the pane of my window and brought with it an angel to stand in the darkest corner of my room. I sat up in bed rubbing my eyes because I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but there she was, bright as everything I'd always been told and read to about. I have always wanted to believe in angels so I asked my mom to read me stories about them and at Christmas time there were always movies on TV about angels and miracles they perform. But here, in my room?, I still couldn't' believe it.
I asked the angel why she was here and she told me she was here to help me get over my fear of the dark. I asked her how she knew I was afraid of the dark and she said, "All the angels have assignment planners who tell them why they are helping the "Grounders" they are assigned to." "Is that what I am?" I asked. She said, "Yes, we call you "Grounders"." I asked what her name was and she told me they call her "Stip".
Stip and I talked for a while and I started getting sleepy. Stip said she would stay with me and I should go to sleep. Tomorrow would be a big day for me. I asked her what she meant and she smiled at me, slowly blinked her eyes and I fell asleep.
The next morning I awoke wondering if I had been a dream last night. I tried to remember all of it but it seemed faded in spots but, I jumped out of bed and ran downstairs. I told my mom about the storm and not being able to fall asleep until the angel came into my room. My mom only smiled and said the storm was bad and it was loud and she's glad I was able to sleep through it. She didn't mention the angel. I'm not sure if she believed me.
My mom and I had a wonderful day planned together. I t was Saturday and we were going to go bike riding, go to the park for a picnic and stop at the book store to buy me a new book. We had been planning this day all week. I picked out my favorite finger foods to take to the park and what blanket we needed to sit on. We also brought the paper that had my wish list of books I wanted to read or have read to me.
While we were in the park my mom and I picked out the book I wanted and she would buy later at the book store. As we sat on the blanket, I talked to my mom more about the angel and asked my mom when I had first become afraid of the dark. My mom got a sad look on her face and told me the story of why my dad wasn't with us anymore. I was only three when my dad passed away and from what my mom told me, I use to go into their room at night when the storms were bad. My dad would cradle me into his arms and I felt safe and warm and would fall asleep knowing I was protected. One night during a really bad storm I got out of bed to go to dad and the lights downstairs were on and there were police officers in the living room talking to my mom and she was crying. My dad had worked late and was driving home when a dog ran into the street in front of him and he swerved to avoid it and hit a light pole. He was in the hospital and the police didn't know if he was going to make it or not. My mom bundled me up and we went to the hospital. My dad was in pretty bad shape she said and the room was dark and we were there all night. My mom said I fell asleep for a little while, she had gone to get coffee and I woke up all by myself, looked at my dad and the machines and got scared and started crying. My mom said when she came back into the room I was under the bed crying saying daddy couldn't hold me and I was afraid. Mom soothed me and I fell asleep in her arms. When I awoke again it was daylight. The bed dad was in was empty and mom said they had taken him in the night and I told my mom I was afraid someone would come and take me in the night too. After we got home from the hospital, we didn't talk about me being afraid of the dark, but I began needing a night light on. When my mom told me the story, it brought back memories I had forgotten. I remembered how scared and afraid I was when daddy didn't come home, and what the angel had said to me the night before.
My mom and I finished up our picnic and headed to the bookstore on our bikes. We bought the book from my wish list and headed home. I couldn't wait to read it.
That night was peaceful, no storms or lightning. I was getting ready to go to sleep when Stip appeared in the corner of my room again. Tonight she looked smaller but, just as bright. She asked me what I had learned today. I told her about how afraid I was at the hospital when my dad died and that's when I started to become afraid of the dark. She asked me if I was still afraid of the dark and I said not when she's in the room. She said she will always be with me, maybe not as tall or bright and with that she became very small and dim in the darkest part of the darkest corner of my room. I couldn't really see her but I knew she was there. I felt safe again and turned off the nightlight. Stip blinked slowly again and I slowly closed my eyes and fell asleep.
The next morning, while having breakfast, I told my mom about the angel in the corner of my room. She looked at me and said "Oh, that was Stip, she was in your father's room the night they took him, and you were asleep in my arms. She told me she would always be there for you, and when you were afraid. And you just needed to "Look for the Angel in the Corner"."