Right now, perched high in the corner of my living room, is perhaps the most beautiful angel I’ve ever seen. Her sweet, cherub face is framed in golden ringlets. Her rosy cheeks have a heavenly glow. As she bows her head, there’s a peaceful look on her face. Her eyes are closed and her long, dark lashes lay against her porcelain skin. Above her head floats a thin, glowing halo.

The face of my angel is housed in a silver tin star that sits on the top branch of our Christmas tree.
She is well over 50 years old.
The points of her star are weathered.
A few pieces of well-placed duct tape, which I suspect are older than I am, hold the back of the star together.

When my dad was little, that angel sat on his Christmas tree. Then one fateful holiday, back when Christmas lights were made a lot bigger and got a lot hotter, a bulb positioned on the tree behind the angel got too close. It left a brownish, blackish burn mark about the size of a quarter above her left eye. After that Christmas, my grandmother threw it away, thinking the burnt angel wouldn’t do. But my dad spied it in the trash can and quickly rescued her, chastising my grandmother for even thinking about throwing it away. My dad couldn’t imagine parting with the angel he’d grown up with…regardless of her injuries. So he took her, and it graced our tree every year after that. We loved her not only because of her beauty, but because dad saved her.

A few years ago, Dad gave the angel to me to share with my family.

Tonight, I was sitting on the couch across from the tree with my little girl…whose face is not dissimilar from that angel. As she sat cradled in my lap, all cozy in her purple fleece pajamas, she asked me to sing “Silent Night” to her. As I did, I imagined my mom and dad doing the same when I was her age, as I snuggled next to them wearing my Christmas flannel nightgown.

I hope in a few decades from now, my kids will do the same with their kids…my grandchildren.

I looked up at the angel tonight and said a silent thank you for the many gifts I have.

Not the least of which is rescued angels watching over us.