Maggie
Every visible thing in this world is in the charge of an angel. – Saint Augustine
I have to begin this post with a disclaimer: I know what comes next may sound crazy. Even so, it is my truth. Some months ago, my guardian angel was introduced to me in a dream. The image I saw was so vivid, it’s stayed with me ever since. I began toying with the idea of having her likeness made into a figure by a fine art doll-maker I came across on Etsy. Vilma is from Lithuania and her one-of-a-kind creations speak to me. I contacted her with my request and a description of the angel. In her reply she asked me to send her a sketch. For me, that’s not as easy as it sounds.
As an artist, my illustrations always stem from life, meaning I use photographic references. I may add magical elements to the piece, but they are always based on photos. I need to do that to get the realism that my muse demands. I was a little leery about drawing an image that lived only in my mind, but I decided to give it a shot.
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. – Michelangelo
When my pencil rendering was finished, I posted it on my FaceBook fan page. I was surprised by how much interest it received. Quite a few of my followers said they were excited about seeing the finished art. Today is “ta-da” day, the day I’m sharing my angel with the world. I know the anatomy isn’t perfect but I’m satisfied that I’ve captured her essence.
Many people are curious about what I learned from my angelic encounter. First off. my guardian’s name is Margaret but I call her Maggie (which is fine with her). She has green eyes and auburn hair (that may explain my mini obsession with drawing and painting redheads). As you can see, her robes are pink and coral, colors I would have never chosen on my own. Did you notice the star on the top of her head? She told me she wears it for special occasions such as Christmas, my birthday and the birthdays of those I love. I learned from Maggie that I share her with others in my life at times. By that, she meant if I’m concerned about someone she will do what she can to help. She also said that if I loved myself more it would make her job so much easier. That surprised me and has made me really work on how I treat myself. The most important thing she imparted to me is the more I invoke her help the freer she is to be a part of my life.
Getting Maggie’s likeness down on paper has made her real to me. It’s a comfort to feel her presence. I try and remember to ask her for guidance because she sees the big picture. I’m sure some who read this will believe I was given a gift while others will think I’m delusional. Sure, it’s occurred to me that my dream sprung from an overactive imagination. Then again, I just may have taken a peek into eternity. Whatever the cause for my guardian angel’s materialization, I’m going to go with it. Believing we are all watched over and guided makes life so much easier.
There exists another world, an invisible world, real as our own, it is all around us: it is peopled with angels: they travel with you and play a part in your lives. – Pope Pius XII
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Text and images © Sue Shanahan. All rights reserved. www.sueshanahan.com
Commonplace Grace 
I love this story and it helps all of us to reach out for our own guardian angel. Imagine what the world can become with the help of those who can see more than we.
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Thank you for that. Knowing there are angels all around is such a comfort.
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What a blessing to you that you have seen what others cannot. How wonderful to have such knowledge of your guardian angel! Maggie sounds delightful and just the right kind of guardian angel that anyone would hope to have. Thanks for sharing your experience.
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Thanks, Amie. The post was a little scary to write. I was hoping not to sound crazy. I wish I would’ve had the dream when I was younger but then again, maybe I would have just dismissed it.
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I have always felt that I had a guardian angel looking over me and helping me through times of trouble. This was not in my older years but since I was a preteen! Please don’t ever think people will think you’re crazy, they just don’t understand!
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Thank you, Noemi. When I began my blog 3 years ago, I made a pact with myself to speak my truth. Sometimes it’s a little scary. I’m glad I’ve shared Maggie (so far the responses have only been positive.) Blessings to you, Sue
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Dear Sue, Maggie is such a beautiful gift and blessing for you. The picture you drew of her is lovely. I hope you will choose to paint her some day. She will be spectacular! Blessings, Lois
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Thanks, Lois. It never occurred to me to paint her in acrylics. I will have to give that some thought. xo
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Dear Sue, For some reason, the picture of Maggie on this page comes through on my computer in black and white. I discovered, though, that in the other emails you sent, it comes through in color. I have no idea why that would be. And yes… she is spectacular! There is no need to paint her in acrylics. That is, of course, unless you should want to! Blessings, Lois
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🙂
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Sue,
The angels that your heaven-sent talent has brought to life touched me like never before. Since I found your blog during Advent last year, my walk with angels still continues with books and sharings on angel encounters. But it is your paintings that helped to open up for me this Other World that not all eyes see. Your angel artwork have brought a kind of hushed, reverent beauty into my life. Even now, visiting your blog after some weeks away, just seeing Maggie, I feel a stilling in my heart. That’s no ordinary artist illustration, Sue. She is not a figment of your imagination. Maggie is real. You can see it in her eyes. There’s life in them.
I shared with you before that I lost my son but later “learned” that he was an angel because there were identical marks on his shoulders before he left us. How I wish you could see him and if it was meant, to paint him for me. But I know life doesn’t always work out the way we want.
You’ve been shown a glimpse of heaven by being allowed to see Maggie. I think more is to come. So, go forth in courage and peace and alertness.
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So beautiful. You’ve touched my heart. Thank you so much! xo
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Just came over from Valeries blog. I have been self publishing for 10 years now, albeit not through Amazon. I simply would not do it any other way. Glad you discovered an outlet for your dream to come true, in book form!
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Hello Sue, I just found your blog tonight and have only read what you wrote about your Angel, Maggie. I have known for many years that I have angels who watch over me and help me, though sometimes I quite a challenge to them! You write so beautifully and there is no question that you are a very sane and blessed woman! Several years ago I was talking to my second granddaughter. I told her I was sending her a guardian angel to watch over her. She was about 7-8 and usually spoke exactly what she thought. Took her longer than ‘usual’ to learn how to filter her thoughts, which I loved. Anyway, after I told her about her angel, there was a pause and then she quickly said ‘Thank you Grandma, I’m sending you FIVE angels because you fall down alot’. I have always treasured that message and since then I can almost feel them with me. She was so right about me falling alot – something I have dealt with most of my life. I have 5 serious falls when I fell directly from my feet to the front of my head and one where I fell backward, landing on my tailbone and then cracking my head on a linoleum cover concrete floor. I have no memory from the time just before I fell until I heard that crack as I hit the back of my head. I remember thinking ‘WOW!! This is a really bad hit, BUT I’M ALIVE! I got a huge hematoma but no other injuries. The first time it happened, after I managed to lift my face off the concrete I thought ‘SO! Where were you, Angels?’ Then I realized that I was just too fast for them BUT they were able make my fall more gentle than it could have been! I have never had a skull fracture and I’ve had NO brain bleeds. I truly and surrounded by my five angels all the time. I completely forgot about the Webinar last night, but I’m going to watch it before next Thursday, so I’m caught up. I thank you so much for your willingness to share your beautiful story and your awesome rendition of Maggie!! Oh, and in case you haven’t figure it out I am my family’s storyteller and getting as many of our family stories down so the younger generations can learn more about their elders when they become ready to read it!! OK! Done! Carol Music
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Hi Carol, Thanks you so much for writing. Your encouraging words mean a lot and I loved hearing about your granddaughter. “Out of the mouths of babes”, right? xo
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Oh, so true, Sue! I finally was able to watch the first section of the Angels Webinar and was really awed by what Lorna had to say. She contradicts my long held belief of having 5 guardian angels by saying we each have just one Guardian Angel forever, but there may be others who support us too, as long as OUR angel OK’s it! SO! I think the 5 angels my dear granddaughter sent me consists of 5 healing/helping angels, since I have always had my guardian angel, though I never knew back in the day. I do believe my own angel chooses to let other angels help me because when I fall, I do it very suddenly and very quickly! Interestingly, my last ‘bad’ fall was on cement steps (the kind of old cement with rocks mixed in) and short of having a face that looked like the guys in the group Kiss I was fine. However I found myself afraid of our house stairs because there is cement at the bottom. I figured it was only time and in fact, I did fall, tripping over a tiny edge of a nailed down carpet. Just as I went down, I distinctly heard the words “get your head up and your hands out”! Those were the two skills I seem to have lost over time. I hit the cement with my hands out and my head up. Interestingly, I sustained a huge bruise on the outside of my wrist which wasn’t where I hit it. My husband’s comment was “I don’t know how in the heck you didn’t break your wrist”! Well, I DO! One time after that, I tripped again at the top of our stairs and just as I started to fall, I distinctly FELT a hand pushing very strongly on my chest and I stayed upright! Once again, I thanked my angel! I’ve only had one fall since then – while watering our flowers one summer evening this past year, I lost my balance, even though I was using my cane. As I went down, quite gently actually, I heard a huge CCCRRRRAAAAAK! Yup, I had broken my ankle – only the second bone I have ever broken and I was 70 then!! Not a bad record! A neighbor called an ambulance who transported me to the hospital – which happened to be right across the street from the Rehab facility my husband was in receiving intensive PT after very serious back surgery. Since I had no one at home to help me and I couldn’t put any weight on my ankle, I was admitted to the hospital for the requisite ‘3 midnights’ (doncha just LOVE government regulations!) and then Medicare would pay for my stay at THE SAME FACILITY MY HUSBAND WAS AT!! Coincidence? I think not! So we got to spend 4 weeks together with no worries and no stress before he went home a week before I did! Oh, and I only broke the fibia (the small bone that is attached to the tibia and connect by ligaments. Didn’t tear them either! Such is life!
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That is some story, Carol. I do believe you have a band of angels watching over you (with your guardian angel’s permission, that is.) 🙂
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