This I believe: Angels Walk Among Us.

As a girl in my early teens, I struggled with my self-esteem, and ultimately my depression. There were things, situations, and events in my life that made me feel this way about myself. And it seemed as if my depression was an ever-hovering demon that would haunt me for life. I would walk down the halls at school, feeling everyone’s penetrating gaze looking right through me. My life was inconsequential, it didn’t matter to anyone but me.

Then one day it seemed that the pain, the sadness, and the wanting to disappear became too much for me to ignore, too much to bear. Tears streaming down my face I left my house, without informing my parents, I started to walk down the road. Heaving, sobbing, attempting to pull myself together, I didn’t know where to go. All I knew was what horrible disappearing act I wanted to accomplish. Bargaining with the lord, I challenged him. If you love me, if you want me to continue to live, show me somehow. Please.

Just then, a car stopped in the middle of the road, parked, and a boy got out. This boy I had only known for a few years, but we wouldn’t be considered friends. He was popular, I was not. He was funny and outgoing, I was not. And yet, here he was concern written on his face, and walking towards me with his arms wide open. After the embrace the words that I so desperately needed, “You are amazing Paige, you can get through this. Crap happens.” He didn’t even ask me what was going on, he didn’t need to know.

After that he asked if I needed anything and then drove off, a knight into the sunset of my memory. As I continued on, the purpose of my walk changed. No longer was it a walk of shame, of final words and thoughts, but it was a walk of enlightening, blessings, and realization. I went home, and a lot about me changed. One person, one conversation, changed my life. Forever.

I learned many things that day, I was worth living, I can do hard things, shit happens, and that angels walk among us. I know it. God can’t go around making miracles, so he sends us, as humans to people. God works through us, to help make this hell of a life, just a little bit better. My friend, My angel, saved my life.