International Angel Day

International Angel Day, started by Dr. Doreen Virtue is observed through various workshops from all over the world. It is a time of coming together and honoring children as well as the child within. It is connecting with others who communicate with their angels and/or desire to learn more about this.

Yesterday, (September 12, 2009) was my second workshop at Cassadaga, Florida led by Robin Matutino (an Angel Therapy Practitioner) . Through the workshop, we not only shared some of the ways each of us receives messages but through meditation we were able to connect and just be there in that space with each other and the Angels. This year, we were especially treated with a short performance by Robin's husband, Henry, on the Didgeridoo. One of the biggest things I took from this is how I don't spend enough time each day just allowing the communication. I get to busy or too wrapped up in my day and shut this off. Than I get upset when I feel as if I'm in this life all by myself. So somehow, I'm going change that.

While some people may think this is preposterous that you can communicate with angels and while some may feel it is totally possibly, I know first hand from many situations throughout my life what is possible for me. There have been many times when I have seen, heard, felt things and just knew things.

As a child, I used to talk to the imaginary around me. Maybe you could call it the Universe or whatever. I just knew that as I was talking to "it", that "it" would listen and sometimes talk right back with me. It was the same to me as carrying on a conversation with a friend or with my animals. It was just something I accepted as fact from as far back as I could remember. Of course, some of the challenges I faced came along and it began to make me doubt as if "it" was really out there. So I went many years sort of brushing it all off and just thinking that I had to do all of this in life on my own.

After I got out of college and was in the workforce, I took a job with sales that I really hated. It got to the point that I just was about ready to give up. And so one day, while I was driving on the gravel roads to my next client, I just wanted everything to end. As I was going around a curve (almost a 90 degree turn), my speed was around 60 mph. If anyone has grown up on gravel roads, you realized that this sharp of a turn at this speed on gravel would mean that there is no way you could keep your car on the road. My car should have gone airborne and rolled, flipped, etc. There is no way, I should be alive today. Yet, my car never ONCE left the surface of the road. I remember stopping after this and just crying because at that moment, I felt the hands of angels holding me. I will never forget that day.

Another time, came when I was in the hospital after I was paralyzed and just barely hanging on. They were doing some muscle tone/tension tests on me and these were so painful. Because I could barely speak or move, I could not get the lady Doctor to stop the tests and my body basically shut down completely. When I came to and looked up, the doctors were saying "clear" and getting ready to shock me to bring me back. In that moment, the bright white light appeared and I will never forget it.

I remember other times when I was learning massage and doing massage on clients. If I got out of my fear and tuned into what was going on - allowing to happen what needed to happen - I would feel as if my hands were being physically led around the body. I saw this happen many times and it was as if I was doing the right thing at the right time for the people I was working on. I still remember doing a massage one day and looking over to the side of the room only to see an angel being sitting there. It was a brief moment but a powerful one.

There are so many examples I can give, so if someone says "angels" don't exist or we can not communicate with them, you'll have a hard time convincing me. There are times when I get all kinds of communications from them. These more often come to me as "strong forceful voices" in my head. I know that may sound like I've got some mental condition but if you've experienced this, you'll know what I mean. It isn't a mean voice but one that is full of compassion and love.

Other ways I get these things is through images. There are times that when I'm around people, a strong image comes into my mind and there is no way I would know or be able to create that on my own. I've especially seen this happen when I've been in a body work session with someone because it often gives me helpful clues as I'm in the session. Sometimes I get images when I'm around people in public. Often these images help protect me or give me insight I need at that moment. It isn't like I ask for these things either. They either show up or they don't. I don't seem to be able to turn the switch on or off. And sometimes, I get way too much information that I really would rather not know. During those times, it can be very difficult. The closer I am to people around me or in large crowds, the more this information can sometimes be overwhelming.

Other ways I pick stuff up is through a feeling or just knowing something. Sometimes I can not explain why I know what I do or why I feel what I do. Some friends used to call me "space cowboy" and when I asked why they said that, their response was that I just know things somehow. At the time, I thought they were the crazy ones! Sometimes some of the stuff I pick up is just a general sense of things coming and at some point later, I see what it meant. Often I really don't understand it but I try to listen to it more these days. There have been times, that these things have kept me safe or helped me to make a decision that allowed me to avoid trouble situations.

I could go on and on about all that I pick up or the many ways that I've experienced angels first hand. I've even had moments where I've heard some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard and there was absolutely no radio, cd or sounds around that were creating it. The moments are numerous and sometimes I will feel a very strong sense of heat around me during these times. I've felt their hands on me, supporting me and comforting me. The hardest part for me is to not be frightened by it because I don't understand it but to open myself up more to it. It took me a long time to acknowledge to myself that they did exist because I feared I was crazy or that if others knew, they would think I was crazy.

And yet today, I still hide from them and withdraw because I still question - why me? Why do I get chosen to get some of the communications I do. I'm slowly learning to let go of the fear and just be in the space that I'm meant to be in as I attempt to keep myself grounded to the earth.

Here's a poem I wrote about Angels in 1999, titled "Angels Are Watching Over Me"

ANGELS ARE WATCHING OVER ME
(c) Don Shetterly 1999

A light shines to the stars
Glorius and radiant they are
As they shine from heaven with glee
These heavenly beings watch over me

You can see them in a child's eyes
They go unnoticed and unseen,
Humble and obedient they are,
Angels are watching over me.

They may be a helping hand,
A stranger in the night.
Or a quiet, silent type
But whoever they are,
Angels are watching over me.

A friendly face, a gentle touch.
Soft words of hope, letters with love.
A warm embrace, a lending ear.
May be the only thing that's near.
Angels are watching over me.

Fear trembles within as hope is gone
Ready to quit and not carry on.
Ending the pain but stopped once again,
Knowing all the time,
Angels are watching over me.

So many during my life,
Which I was not able to see.
For I had no strength,
To even worry about me.
But as I look back, I can see,
Angels are watching over me.

So many things we share
When our hearts join as one,
So many tears, so much joy
One with thoughts, one with love
Allowed just a few years
Angels are watching over me.

Now I know they are all around
From the smallest child to the oldest one,
In many shapes and tears,
They rarely stand out
But I know
Angels are watching over me.

(c) Don Shetterly 1999