at work again.
Have you ever felt forgotten and alone and then a soft breeze on your hand or a gentle touch on your cheek revitalizes you? That’s the touch of an angel to let you know you are not alone. And have you ever thought someone was watching you – that intense feeling that someone is behind you? Yet you turn around and there is no one there? There is someone there after all – an angel!
In recent years there have been many occasions when I have been absolutely convinced someone was standing behind me or watching me. The hairs on the back of my neck have even stood on end. Then when I turned around I could see no one there. The sensation most typically occurs when I am writing alone in my office but it has also happened when I’ve been in a room with other people or out in the street. There is no specific prompt or trigger but it is more likely to happen if I’m feeling stressed or anxious. When I work on my computer on a book or a feature with a pressing deadline for far longer than I should do the sensation gently reminds me that it is time to stop, take a break, refresh my eyes and smell the flowers.
I never feel alarmed or threatened by these ‘he’s behind you’ experiences, as I like to call them; quite the opposite. I feel peaceful and light-hearted because I know my guardian angel is watching over me. But I’m well aware that other people who also have this experience on a regular basis – and it is far more common than you realize – may think they are being overanxious, nervous, paranoid, even.
The best thing to do if you get this sensation is to stay calm and to breathe deeply. Double check that no one is actually standing behind you or that you aren’t in any kind of danger. One night when I was walking down a back street in London with my brother he experienced this sensation and we both ran as fast as we could, narrowly escaping a mugging! If the coast is clear – as it almost always is, especially when you are alone – celebrate the closeness of your guardian angel. Thank your angel for watching over you and reminding you of their comforting presence. Use the sensation to open your heart and your mind and ask for guidance and inspiration.
You may have heard stories of people who have seen and even spoken to angels – and you’ll find incredible stories like that later in the book – but you’ve probably heard less about the touch, scent, whisper, laugh, kiss and other gentle signs that angels use to alert us to their presence or to protect us from harm. But all these miraculous things are possible, as these true stories show. The thread joining everything here is that none of the people actually saw an angel complete with bright lights, feathered wings and halo. Yet they remain convinced that angels dipped into their lives and somehow made them stronger, happier and greater than they believed themselves to be.
Angel’s Kiss
There is a story that explains why we all have a little groove above our mouth and below our nose, called the philtrum. According to the story this little groove is called an Angel’s kiss: on the day we are born we already know all about the angelic world, but our guardian angel puts a finger there to help us forget, so that we don’t spend our lives full of regret and longing to return.
This story reminds us that angels are healers, protectors and bearers of wisdom, but most of all they are our friends. They laugh with us and they cry with us. They know us better then we know ourselves and even though we can’t always see or hear them, as Nicola’s story shows, they always have our best interests at heart.
Invisible Kisses
My mother always told me that she didn’t want me to see her body after she had died. She wanted me to remember her alive and vibrant so when the doctor asked if I wanted to say one last goodbye I said no.
A day before the funeral my aunt and uncle asked the same question and once again I said no. They pressured me, saying that even though she had lost a lot of weight she looked peaceful, but I remembered what my mum had told me. I was pressured again by my husband who told me that seeing my mum would be a healing process, but I had made my mind up. Everyone said I would regret my decision one day.
About an hour before the funeral I went to my bedroom to gather my thoughts. Tears welled up in my eyes. I thought of my mother lying cold and motionless in her coffin. Perhaps I should have given her one last kiss? Perhaps everyone was right and I needed the closure?
At that moment I felt a refreshing breeze on my face. The breeze was so strong it wiped some of my tears away. My bedroom door was closed and there were no windows open. I knew it was my mother.
During the funeral I focused on the happy times mum and I had shared and as I said my last goodbyes I felt invisible lips kiss my cheeks on both sides. I closed my eyes and saw an image of my mum smiling and dancing, just as she wanted me to remember her. I knew then that I had made the right decision. From then on, whenever I thought of her she would always be dancing and smilingby my side.
There are many ways for our loved ones to come to us, to affirm that they are still living in spirit. Invisible kisses and puffs of air are often reported, as are scents. The strong smell of chocolate is a common theme. Flower scents are also frequently reported, in particular strong-smelling ones like gardenias, roses and lavender. This is Margaret’s moving story.
Winter Roses
Eric was my soulmate and it was hard for me to contemplate life without him. We had been married for 25 years. We met when we were both 18. I can remember the first time I saw him. We were both invited to a mutual friend’s party. I was incredibly shy but this handsome, confident guy just came over and introduced himself. He made me laugh and we talked all evening. When it was time to leave he offered to walk me home.
That walk home was magical. It was snowing but I felt warm inside. Eric told me that the thing he hated most about winter was that the rose-growing season was over. He loved the smell of roses in summer. I can’t explain why but it was at that exact moment that I knew I was in love with him. Eight years later we were married. When we moved into our first home one of the first things we did was plant dozens of rose bushes in our garden.
I can honestly say we had a wonderful marriage; sure, we had our disagreements but the love between us was so strong it could conquer anything. We weren’t blessed with children but we were blessed with each other. Losing him after a two-year battle with prostate cancer felt like the end of the world for me. I stopped eating. I stopped going out. I wanted to die. I made a few fragile attempts to step back into life but I missed my Eric so badly I thought I would never be able to go on.
Then one night in the middle of winter I woke up and there was a heavy scent of roses in the air. I got up and went into the garden. There was thick snow covering the rose bushes and the ground was frozen. The scent was definitely coming from inside the house even though there were no fresh or dried flowers inside. As I went from room to room the scent seemed to grow stronger. It’s hard to describe, but I knew Eric was there with me using the scent of roses in winter to take me back to the moment I fell in love with him. He was trying to comfort me. He was sending me a message that I was still living and my life needed to go on. I started to cry because I knew that he wanted me to let go. As I made a silent promise to him to move on the scent vanished.
Although I shall miss Eric deeply until the day I die, the scent of roses that night gave me the strength I needed. It was his way of letting me know that he is watching over me. He had always said if there was a way to reach me after death he would; so he was just keeping his promise.
Stories of clocks stopping, lights flickering, alarms bleeping and music suddenly playing are other surprisingly typical ways for loved ones to let us know they haven’t left us. George shares his remarkable experience.
