Angels Of My Life: The One I Didn't Had the Chance to Meet

I know I shouldn’t be doing anything but to relax, lest one person who literally “paid” me to relax and take the week off read about this. But this isn’t work, but a passion, so here I am blogging. Taking the opportunity to post much.  

Do you believe in angels?

I do. And they come in all forms. Some speak to us because we need to hear certain things to affirm the decisions we made in life, or to warn us about future misfortunes. Depending on how receptive our senses are about their presence in our lives, we sometimes see them clearly, but most of the time they appear in the form of another human being.

They could be someone you meet recently,or someone who’s been with you for so long. But mostly, they stay present in your life as long as they are still fulfilling their purpose. I’ve had many people come into my life and made drastic positive changes in me, and then all of a sudden, they disappear. And I wonder where they went. Then I realized, their mission or role in my life is done.

photo: blogs.amctv.com

In my experience and humble opinion, an angel (in the human form) is someone who helps you in the best way he/she could and ask nothing in return. Or more so , disappear from your life.

Almost ten years ago, during my transition period from living abroad and coming back to our country and staying for good, I met one person who helped me a lot overcome my adversity and the difficulties of trying to start all over again. Online.

On my 26^th birthday, without anything to do and to fight boredom, I joined an online correspondence on Hotmail. I got plenty of responses but I maintained communication with only three persons. A British guy, a Filipino American US Navy and a German guy.

Among the three, I managed constant communication with the Fil-Am guy named “Noel Serrano” as he introduced himself to me. There wasn’t much of an exchange of personal information, but I felt like we had rapport maybe because we have the same culture and beliefs. He may have been raised in San Diego,California, but he was still a Filipino at heart.

And so , he communicated with me online for years without me knowing his real identity which eventually led to personal conversations through phone. He send one photo of himself, which was very dark. I could not really help but think he was just playing me for a fool. But I could always feel the sincerity of his heart to help me in any way he can.

Can you really know someone so well, but not know his real identity? As crazy as it may sound, I did. I asked him once why he does everything to help me, including financial matters. And the only answer he gave me was “because you saved my life.”

I don’t really know what he meant by that, it is a very vague answer so I put all my efforts to squeeze an elaboration from him. Finally he said that I was an angel because at the very moment that he was about to commit suicide, I somewhat made him realize something. Actually, I remember sending him Echoes of Our Hearts written by Joe D’Mango which he said reading it made him realize that a lost love doesn’t mean a life lost. At that time he just broke up with his girlfriend. And that, he said, saved his life.

And so, for the next 5 years we continued our friendship and then he became my angel. Every time I would be in deep trouble, even when I was already in a new relationship, I don’t need to say anything, he would just pop in a message and ask me how I was. And I would be honest about my situation. He would always extend help in any way he can.  It was like having mental telepathy. I just think of him and then he’d be there online.During that time, he became “James Recto”, a name I know was just another alias he used.

We had planned to meet but all our plans were ruined by the 9-11 incident. Because of his work, he was called back to base as the entire US Military forces were on red alert. He offered me an all-expense paid trip to Guam to visit him while he was based there, but I declined. I cannot really understand why I declined, maybe I just "chickened" out or maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Until now, I'm still having thoughts that the 911 incident became just one of his excuses not to meet me.

He is now married but the last time we corresponded, he was asking me if there was a procedure done in the Philippines for artificial conception as his Spanish wife can’t get pregnant by natural means. And I remember recommending St. Luke’s Hospital to them.

That was the last time I heard from him. I can’t even check him out on Facebook because I don’t know his real name.

Indeed, many people come into our lives, at the very moment that we need them. More often, we do not realize this until their role in our life is done. And I never got the chance to thank him for everything he's done for me.

And that is why, I will never let the chance pass me by again to thank anyone who’s been ever so helpful to me because I do not know when their roles and their presence in my life will end. Being grateful for something is just the tip of the iceberg. Being grateful for someone’s presence in your life and acknowledging that role is what makes your relationship with that person worthwhile.

Without knowing it, I was an angel to someone, who eventually chose to be an angel to me. Know and acknowledge your life's angels. I know some of them are just standing very close to you. 

♥