[2022-01-29] Angels
Last night, I watched the third and final season of After Life, written by and starring Ricky Gervais. In the series, Gervais plays Tony Johnson, a man struggling as he mourns the loss of his wife, Lisa. When he visits his wife's grave, he often meets a woman named Anne Pearson (played by Penelope Wilton) who is visiting the grave of her husband, Stan. At one point, Tony introduces Anne to a gentleman who had also lost his spouse.
In the final episode of the series, Tony confides in Anne that he wished that he hadn't teased his wife about there not being an afterlife as he thinks she wanted to believe in heaven and angels. Anne delivers a heartfelt response and one of the most moving passages in the show:
All she would have wanted was you with her at the end. Oh, and there are angels by the way. They don't have wings and live in clouds. They wear nurse's uniforms and work hard to pay the rent on their houses. Some work for charities because they can't look the other way. Some have four legs and bark. But whatever they look like, they all save lives. Sometimes you bump into them. Like Lisa. And Stan. And you— And you marry them. I know that Lisa and Stan aren't angels now. But they were. If you want to be an angel, you've got to do it when you're alive. Be good. Do good things. Introduce a lonely woman to a nice man. You're my angel, Tony.
Tony replies, "Not sure about that." But he smiles.
As I reflect on my own life, I have met many angels. Some—as Anne says—wore nurse's uniforms, especially the nurse who helped me prepare for chemotherapy and a woman who studied to be a nurse who is a constant cheerleader. Some wore surgical gowns and performed life-saving operations on me. Some helped me see the humour in my treatment. Some boosted my confidence at work or saved me from unhealthy work situations. Many have encouraged me to share my story. Few know they have been my angels.
One of the reasons I write every day—even on nights when I have little energy—is that I want to do good while I'm here. I've made a commitment to Jenesis readers to share something every day, be it an update on my cancer journey or a reflection on my day.
If you have an angel in your life, perhaps—like Anne—you can let them know how they have helped you.
And congratulate yourself on your own angelic deeds: paying someone a compliment, leaving a large tip for a hairdresser whose business has plummeted because of the pandemic, giving a colleague an excellent and well-deserved reference, passing along home-baked goods, checking in on a friend just to see how they're doing, shoveling a neighbour's driveway, ordering takeout from a local restaurant, sharing a positive story, spending time listening to a child, volunteering with a charity, celebrating the little victories of someone going through cancer treatment.
Be good. Do good things. Recognize the angels in our midst.
