This week, there has been a slew of posts about Father’s Day, and I feel somewhat cheated that I only had my dad with me for a very short time.   Earlier this week, I viewed a post of a father giving away his beloved daughter at the altar. His speech was funny yet so heartwarming I cried. It was obvious how much he adored his daughter. And I wondered what my father would have said if he had been alive when I got married, or when my marriage broke up and I filed for annulment, or when I got married again, happily this time. I wonder if he would have been proud of me when I graduated with honors, or when I got my first job, or got promoted, when I was first published, or when I set up TeamAsia. That father in the video obviously was very proud of his daughter. So many unanswered questions.  So many what ifs.

My father died when I was but ten years old. All these years, I’ve wondered how my life would have turned out if he had not died early.  How I wish I had more time with him! I even wrote a blog about it one Father’s Day (https://monettehamlin.com/2014/06/15/how-i-wish-i-had-more-time-with-him/).  While thinking of the many conversations I wish I had enjoyed with my dad, a memory long forgotten popped up.

Do you believe in angels? In 2003, I met a woman by the pen name of Avi Maria at the home of a friend. She told me she had died one day, and gone to heaven where she met angels and Jesus Christ. She described her experiences in heaven, and said it was beautiful beyond imagination. What she thought of first as gentle rain, turned out to be shimmering glitters of all colors and hues. When she asked her guardian angel what it was, the angel said the glitters were all the answered prayers of the faithful.

Avi Maria wanted to stay in heaven, but she was told she still had many things to accomplish on earth and a son to take care of, and was thus sent back. She told me about seeing her baby son about to fall from the bed unnoticed, while her whole household was crying over her dead body.  She rushed back into her body and woke up.  All these had happened in the span of an hour during which time she was thought to be dead by her anguished family.

When she came to, she started seeing angels.  One day, she ended up in a bookstore and bought a lot of painting materials.  When the cashier asked if she was a painter, she said no and wondered why she had done this.  From that day on, she started to paint guardian angels of people she would meet, even if she still had not met them by the time she painted. Before this happened, she had never even used a paintbrush.

Avi Maria’s paintings were sought after; in fact, my friend had several in her home. She confided in me that each angel painting had a designated owner, and she could only sell it to that person. She once sold a painting upon the insistence of someone who wanted it, and by the time the person brought the painting home, the angel in the painting was gone. It was returned to her, and the angel once again appeared when she finally met the rightful owner. She was compelled to paint, as if she were a puppet in the hands of a master. I didn’t know whether to believe her or not, but it was quite an interesting story.

I didn’t think much of it, until several months later when I got a call from her, saying she had my painting ready. I protested that I had not commissioned anything, but she insisted I get it because she had made it for me and it could not be owned by anyone else. Besides she said, it was different from all the other paintings she had made. I asked her why, and she said that a big handsome man had sat beside her and asked her to paint it.  It took her just 20 minutes to paint it,  a mean feat considering its size.

When she had finished painting, he asked her to tell me that I was not to worry anymore, that everything would be all right, that I would never want for anything again. He also asked her to tell me he was sorry that he wasn’t there physically when I needed him most, but that he was always there, watching over me. I asked her to describe the man, and she described my father exactly.   By this time, I was gripping the phone tightly and crying, prompting Mike to ask what was wrong. Needless to say, I bought that painting and it is hanging in my home.

The painting is that of a beautiful angel coming out of what seems to be a dark blue tunnel. At her feet are three angels, and a little to the side is another angel. I asked Avi Maria what the painting meant. She told me that the angel was my guardian angel; the tunnel was all the hardship and pain I have gone through, and is now behind me.  The angel’s wings are spread over the children, protecting and taking care of them.

The slightly larger angel to the right represents Bea, my first born. Avi Maria said Bea would always be there for me, watching and taking care of me.  And this is exactly what is happening now. Bea came back from the US after finishing her masters with honors to take over the reins of TeamAsia.  She is doing a wonderful job at it too.

The quiet little angel in front of me represents Cara, my middle child, who we’ve always called Cara bonita, being so fair.  Avi Maria said that Cara would always be close to me.  I’ve wondered about this because Cara has the wanderlust and loves to travel and explore.  But it is true that she comes home often, and would call out “Marmee” the minute she enters the door.

The little angel flying around to the left represents Niccolo.  Avi Maria said he was a happy angel.  Niccolo was just five when the painting was done.   He is now in the United States visiting kin and learning to be more independent.

Mike was the one to the left, seemingly engrossed in something, yet always there to keep me company, making sure I was safe.  Little did I know that just ten years after I got that painting that God would claim back Mike.  But I know in my heart that he is there, still watching over me.

So, do I believe in angels?  Yes, I do.  Do I miss having my dad around? You bet I do. But then, I have him in heaven watching over me, as I do Mike and Rollie.  And I am sure all other dads in heaven are doing the very same thing. So Happy Father’s Day to all!