4 stories that will warm your heart
Unexpected grace Kindred spirits
“I suffer from extreme anxiety, especially when someone is depending on me, so when my neighbor asked if I could care for her three foster cats while she was out of town, I almost turned her down. But she’d always been there for me, so I agreed.
“As I filled their food bowls on the first day, a white kitten approached. She sniffed my foot and I tensed as she rubbed against my leg. To my surprise, I felt my anxiety drain from me. Each day, the same kitten came running when I entered and wouldn’t leave my side. One afternoon I even let her curl up in my lap, petting her soft fur. As she purred, I felt completely calm—a sensation I hadn’t known for years.
“When my neighbor returned, I told her about the affectionate white cat. ‘That’s a miracle!’ she said. ‘Her name is Angel and she’s deaf and terrified of everything— you should adopt her!’ My heart swelled and I found myself agreeing, ‘I sure could use a guardian Angel!’”
—Laura Peters, 55, St. Louis
Country wisdom Twice as nice
“My mother and I took turns hosting our family’s Irish feast every St. Patrick’s Day, and I always struggled to make my Irish soda bread, corned beef and flaky apple tart as delicious as hers. Each year, she offered to help, saying, ‘Two heads are better than one, honey.’ I always insisted I could go it alone, but the flavors always fell short.
“One year, when Mom insisted once again that two heads were better than one, I gave in and let her help. She was getting up in years and every moment with her seemed more precious. As it turned out, the hours we spent cooking were hours we also spent chatting about her life in Ireland, stories about my father that I never knew and laughs that lit up my heart. By the time we sat down to eat, I was aglow with love. It was then that I realized the saying shouldn’t be two heads are better than one, it should be two hearts are better than one!” —Ali Swan, 41, New Milford, CT
Angel ongus Lit with love
“When I got the call that my 25-yearold son, Shayne, was killed in a car accident, life as I knew it came crashing down around me. He was my only child and we were so close. I felt like all the joy, beauty and color had been drained from the world. Without him, all I had was excruciating pain and so many unanswered questions. Did he suffer? Did he have happy life? Was I a good mother? Is he at peace? Will I see him again one day?
“After Shayne’s memorial service, an officer that worked the scene of the accident approached me and handed me a photo. ‘Someone caught in the traffic jam behind the crash took this to show his boss the reason he was going to be late,’ he explained. ‘They contacted our department asking that we get this to you. As you’ll see, the photo on their phone captured something, well, quite miraculous.’ I examined the picture of the traffic tieup, which showed Shayne’s demolished car bathed in an iridescent light. I gasped as
I realized that the beams of light were emanating from a heart-shaped cloud right above his car.
“I would have thought it was a strange coincidence, except that ever since he was a child,
Shayne had doodled hearts on my grocery lists, bills and napkins. ‘You’re my heart,
Mom,’ he’d say. And that fateful day, he made sure to leave one more behind. With tears running down my cheeks, I had the answer I needed: He was okay.”
—Dorothy Sharpe, 49, San Diego
Inner srength A new reflection
“After turning 55, I had more silver hair than my natural auburn, so I colored my roots every three weeks. Each time that I broke out a new box of dye, my heart ached for my lost youth. You shouldn’t be surprised—you’re way over the hill, I’d tell myself as my confidence plummeted.
“One weekend, I was watching my 8-yearold grandson, Grayson, when he saw the box of hair dye on my bathroom vanity. ‘What’s this, Gram?’ he asked curiously. I smiled and explained how it worked. ‘It makes me look younger and prettier,’ I sighed. ‘But you don’t need that, Gram!’ he said, staring at me with adoration. ‘I read a story at school that said beauty is in your loving heart, and you’re the most beautiful person in the world because you love everyone so much!’
“My eyes filled with tears. Grayson’s words were not only wise but true. I was beautiful because of the joy and love I had to give, not because I covered my grays. I tossed the box of hair dye in the trash. Hugging him tightly I said, ‘I love stories with a happy ending!”