guardian angels (m)

The nuns used to say that guardian angels come in all shapes and sizes.  Their sole purpose is to help you through a situation and then poof! they are gone.  They may look like ordinary people, but don't be fooled, they serve a higher purpose.

Last Saturday, Harrison had to meet at school all day for "paste up" where the editors put the newspaper together.  They huddle in a room and don't come out until the paper is put to bed.  They start early --7:30 a.m--and go through early evening.  It was Harrison's turn to provide the food--breakfast and lunch for 12 people.  He tells me this on Friday night.

Me:  WHAT???  When do you need this food?
Him: Tomorrow morning, why are you so worked up?
Me: Because I like more time.  I need time to prepare.
Him: You don't have to cook anything; you just have to buy it.


My husband and I split the task.  T volunteered to get the breakfast (bagels, cream cheese, a box of hot chocolate from Dunkin' Donuts and two bottles of juice).  Actually, I bought the juice, paper goods and cream cheeses (this is where Dunkin' Donuts marks the stuff up big time).  T got the bagels and hot chocolate.

I got a sandwich platter, multi-grain chips, Sprite and Diet Coke (by request) and a box of chocolate chip cookies for lunch.

At the end of the day, I pick H up from school.  They didn't eat the cookies.  I'm sitting in the car with him....and the cookies.  They are calling me.  We run an errand in Newton Center.  H leaves the car for a few minutes.  It's just me and the cookies now.  I turn the package over and look at the nutrition label.  I take out my WW calculator and input the calories (ugh), fat(wow) and fiber (hah!).  Verdict: 4 points.  Just then, someone's head pops in my car window and scares the living crap out of me:  it's Sam's ex-girlfriend's older sister.  I convinced her to join WW three weeks ago!  Now she sees me in a car on a random street and I'm holding cookies and a WW calculator.  I put the cookies away and explain that I was "just curious."

H comes back to the car and we leave.  I'm still craving a cookie.  I tell myself I'll have just half of one when we get home.  I know that will only make it worse and these cookies will be calling me all weekend.  But what could I do?  Throw them out?


We drive down my street and my neighbor is there in her minivan with her red-haired freckled-face kids.  They had just come back from Jimmy's game, Tommy's doctor's appointment and Kelly's crew practice.  They do everything together.  We talk for a bit.  Then they say they have to go, the kids are hungry.  I ask Harrison to pass me the cookies and hand them to them.

They are thrilled.  I'm relieved.  The "itch" is gone the minute I give those cookies away.  Had I thrown them away, you might have caught me dumpster-diving at 11 p.m.

The WW angels were on my side that day.