Book Entry 184: 1987 A Different Kind of Snow Angel

Larry and I did take our kids to the snow but not very often.  Each time we did it was a scramble to find enough boots, waterproof pants, parkas, gloves, etc.  It was a big headache but we did manage to do it a few times.  This particular year we went to Little Sweden, a nice little hill where the kids could ride toboggans and inner tubes to their hearts content.  Larry had parked the car and the kids had all jumped out.  Adam, Robin, Justin, and Charlie started up the hill.  Heidi, Larry, and I unloaded stuff from the car, turned to follow up the hill, and were horrified with what we saw.

Charlie and Robin were lining themselves up to begin their turn down the mountain.  Adam was already at the bottom and beginning his climb up for another turn.  The scene looked like a Christmas card full of happy little kids having a fun day at the snow… then it hit me.  Robin and Charlie were really high up the mountain and their beginning spot was too far to the right.  I guess they had chosen that spot because it was empty.  Everyone else was a lot farther to the left on the hill.  Everyone else knew this was not a good choice of spots!  Now you have to picture this.   If they came straight down they were lined up perfectly to end up over the edge of a 6-8 foot drop and into a creek bed of rocks and water. 

I guess being a mom and dad we like to think we are always watching out for the safety of our children and we are enough to keep them safe.  I learned again that day that it just isn’t so.  I prayed for my kids all through the day every day while they were growing up.  I prayed for them especially when they were away from me at school or at a friend’s house.  I prayed for them when they were awake and when they were asleep.  I even prayed for them before they were born that they’d be safe inside of me. 

I think praying may be like putting money in the bank for when you need it later.  I didn’t have time to even think about praying at that moment.  Robin started to sit on her toboggan when all the sudden Charlie jumped in front of her, plopped down his ride, jumped on and swoosh…off he went! 

We were struggling to run up the hill to stop him when he pushed off.  We stopped dead in our tracks unable to do anything but watch him head straight for disaster!  I remember thinking, “Who do I call for help when he hits the rocks?   Where is the nearest hospital?  Charlie was about 2/3 his way down the mountain and right on track for a close encounter with a deadly ravine.  The look on Robin’s face was sheer panic, she’d tried to stop Charlie but he was quicker that she was.  In fact, all of us were frantic. People from all over the hill started running towards Charlie.  Everyone knew he was going to be hurt and hurt badly.  Everyone wanted to help stop him.  It was as if Charlie was flying.  No one could come close to him. 

My focus raced between the ravine and Charlie as if estimating his time and point of impact.  Charlie’s eyes and mouth were wide open.  His little hands were clasped tightly on the ropes of his sled.  He didn’t lean to the right or to the left.  He just held on with all his might and watched while people sped toward him and he raced toward a certain fall.  Then, as gently and surely as you please Charlie’s sled began to drift to the right.  It looked like when the kids are run through the house pulling a car on a string behind them.  The sled made another gentle 45 degree turn to the left, sailed about 100 feet and gently took another 45 degree turn to the left.  The maneuvering put him in perfect position to glide over the only little snow bridge over the creek.  Once across the creek Charlie’s sled came to a gently stop on the upward slope.

All the people running to stop Charlie continued toward him.  No one could believe what they had seen.  One man said, “If I didn’t see it myself I wouldn’t believe it.”   One lady grabbed her little boy and hugged him.  All of us just watched Charlie stand up and drag his sled over to the street where we could join him.  He had a shocked look on his face.

We probably stayed for two or three more hours.  It seems Charlie’s adventure is all we talked about the whole time.  Charlie was famous that day!  People kept looking and pointing at him.  The rest of the kids found safer places to do their sledding.  Charlie spent most of his time the rest of that trip poking around in the snowy bushes looking for treasures and making snowballs.  Adam made sure Charlie went down the hill a couple more times before we left.  Adam said it was “so he wouldn’t be scared of it all his life.”

Some people think Charlie was just incredibly lucky that day but I think this incident was overseen and corrected by Charlie’s guardian angel who happened to be a "Snow Angel" that day.  I have always believed we are protected by angels.  The older I get and the more I experience life the more sure of it I become.