meeting an angel

here’s the story behind this piece of art that changed lives and perhaps even saved one. a remarkable man i know, once asked me a question one day while i was caring for his grandson in the oncology infusion clinic. “marian, do you know why the hospital doors are so wide?” he proceeded to tell me that one night when he was staying in the hospital with his grandson, he had a vision that the nurse who entered their room that night had angel wings and that is why the doors are so wide. you see, i remember those doors at our old hospital that he was speaking of. in fact, i remember the exact hospital room where i first met this family and cared for them. i remember the awe i felt when i met his grandson, wise beyond his years, strong, brave…and angelic. so when he told me about this vision, i knew i had to create it. i was so proud to show the family my creation and they were speechless when they saw it. it was as if i had seen the same vision. it was supernatural creativity, to which i take no credit. this amazing man, used this painting to touch lives. he made prints of it and handed it out to other caregivers that were caring for his grandson. that image has been distributed across the country and united many people who loved his boy. 

his grandson and i were buddies. i declared myself his favorite nurse 🙂 we spent many many hours in the infusion room. we laughed. he told me jokes. we were buds. i had the honor of holding his grandson’s hand when he took his final breath. when he escaped years of suffering. years of showing so many people what bravery is. what joy is. when he left behind an incredible legacy and a beautiful family with aching hearts. i remember feeling for so many years that the painting was MY therapy, to help ME cope. well, after that brave little boy earned his wings, i met his grandfather in a starbucks parking lot and i handed the original painting to him. i will never forget the look on his face when he gripped that painting, and at that moment, i realized that it was for HIM all along. it was for him to help grieve, to hopefully bring some peace to him and his family… i pray that he knows how much his grandson brightened this world each time he sees those wings. i pray that his angel visits him often in his dreams and that he can still hear his sweet laugh and see that unforgettable smile. i pray that he still feels his hugs and hears him say “grandpa” with so much adoration. i am forever changed by such remarkable people and by a simple painting.