Henry: Angel...?

Do you believe in angels? I've asked myself this plenty of times before. I actually do believe in them but not in a 'wings and halo' kind of way. I've just had "unexplainable" instances happen to me over the years that have made me believe that there could possibly really be angels walking among us. I know how weird that sounds, trust me. :P However, bear with me while I share something with you.

Clearly, my post below is pretty raw and sad. But, there's a silver lining. I had been out very late on Saturday night for the first time in a while and, on the way home, I got pretty upset. Allison had shared a ride uptown and gotten out with me on my street to walk me home. I actually stopped for a second to get myself together and, while doing so, a guy came walking by who stopped and asked if I was ok. Allison said yes, thanked him, and we assumed that was that. He asked again and, when I looked up at him, he saw I'd been crying and he simply goes anything that could ever make you feel this bad just isn't worth even feeling this bad. It was such a simple yet crystal clear thing to say. He then proceeds to tell us that we're coming with him to his apartment and that we were going to listen to music, talk, and get my mind off whatever was bothering me.

Interjection (yes, you can interject things with yourself I decided) - I know how insane this sounds and how he could be a rapist or serial killer or any other horrible thing you can imagine. However, and this ties into my point that I'll get to, I felt something completely peaceful about him. I felt like something in my gut was saying it was ok and that I should proceed. Allison felt exactly the same way and it was a rather overwhelming sense of protection.

So, we went. He brought us inside, opened beers for us that he had just bought, and sits down at his piano. He looks over at me, says this song is just for you tonight, and proceeds to play and sing Joe Cocker's 'you are so beautiful'. I honestly wasn't sure what the heck to do with myself at that moment. On a completely irrelevant and superficial side note, he was extremely good looking so that part of him playing and singing wasn't lost on me. ;) Anyway, after he played, the three of us sat and talked for a good hour and a half about everything under the sun.

When we realized it was 4:30am, we told him we had to leave and he got up to walk us out. At that point, we realized we didn't even know each other's names. He told us he was Henry. I had to ask him why he did any of what he did for me/us that night and he responded again so simply. He just said that people need people. He said sometimes goodness and faith in people has to be what drives you in the hope that one day it will come back around in the way that it should. With that, he gave me a hug and he walked off. In the two seconds it took for me to cross the street to my apartment, I looked back for him and he was gone.

Now, I pose the question again. Do you believe in angels? I can tell you in that moment I certainly did. I have no clue if I'm right or wrong but I know this - the sense I got about him and the way I felt was nothing short of spiritual. So, whether or not I was inches away from becoming a murder victim or not, I believe what he said and that he was a good man. If anything, he left me a good story to tell. Better yet, he left me alive to tell it. ;) Sometimes, you just have to believe in something bigger.

Here's to you, Henry. Thank you for what you did.