They arrive like dreams in the night
Or angels in a storm
When your car breaks down in knee deep snow 
In the emergency lane along side the highway
They help answer prayers
The bartender, the Circle K clerk with the loan of a pen
With advertising on the side and phone numbers
In case you are desperate for a dentist or an attorney
They breathe a little life into your soul
Permit your heart to rest easier
When they offer you a cup of Trader Joe’s coffee
New Orleans style, with chicory and real cream at 8:30 am
When hurry is the only emotion in an already emotional day
And a bite of pumpkin loaf with cinnamon walnuts
Can make everything right with the world
Like the waitress that’s so proud of her waffles
She adds colored sprinkles atop your child’s whip cream
When it’s not on the menu
They show up with smiles in their eyes and don’t look away
They hug you when loneliness prevails taking the edges off life
Rounding out the corners a bit
So tiny a bit no one might notice
I don’t always remember their names, nor do I smile back at
These angels who wash away the pains of life, of longing
But, I know one when I’ve met one and I say “Thank you God!”
For the one who has been on her feet all day
Still working another hour or more before she can clock out
There are angels everywhere you look, everywhere you go
Be an angel…
Say “thank you for your efforts.”
Flash someone you don’t know a heartfelt smile
Look directly in their eyes when they look into yours, don’t look away
And remember there’s a grandmother in Texas that might just say
“You meet no strangers,” about you.
All rights reserved. ©2010 by Sara Fryd*
*For my waitress at the bar at the Olive Garden on Craycroft & Broadway. When I walked in today at 3 pm for breakfast/lunch/dinner since I had forgotten to eat all day – which is in itself a miracle. Whom I left a huge tip for treating me like royalty and bringing me excellent coffee because I was shaking from my sugar low; and for Chikita Davis from Houston, Texas whose grandmother told her to tell me that I meet no strangers on Waikiki.
Very moving—– Fern
I liked it. It made me think about the people who hold the door for a tired old man. ED
Of course. Once you meet them, they’re no longer strangers. How lovely, Sara.
Received this wonderful story on Facebook:
That piece reminds me so of the woman I met 10 years ago … my 12-year-old Honda Accord had died by the side of the Interstate (on my way to the beach). An off-duty DMV employee had stopped to check on me, and called a local wrecker (I was 75 miles from home) to pick me up and tow me back home. Once the wrecker had my car loaded, he said he had to go home to fuel up the truck. There, at a large farmhouse in the county, he took me inside, introduced me to his wife, and let me use the bathroom. She was the amazing angel, though … she was frying chicken for lunch/dinner for their 5 grandchildren they were helping raise since their daughter-in-law had died … and insisted that I sit down and eat a tomato sandwich and a piece of chiken. Oh, the warmth!!! Linda
I cannot thank you enough for the blog post.Really thank you! Really Cool.