Calling All Angels

As a child, one of the very first prayers that I memorized was:

“Guardian angel, my guardian dear. For whose God’s love, entrusts me here. Ever this day, be at my side. To light and guard to rule and guide. Amen.”

To my young, innocent self, the prayer served as a balm against my fears, and an assurance that no matter what, I was loved and protected. What a gift to a young child — the gift of peace of mind. As I grew older and much more skeptical, my belief in angels is as strong as ever. I believe that there are angels about us, some seen and unseen, at the ready, looking out for us and ready to protect us at a split seconds notice. I can think of numerous instances when I am convinced that they have protected me from harm. It appears that I am not alone; since over 50% of Americans hold similar beliefs. http://j.mp/pI3FcE.

So, when I happened upon this song, the title alone piqued my interest. The song, “Calling All Angels,” by Jane Siberry, is a hauntingly beautiful song that, for me, conveys numerous messages about life, how we view it and how we live it. As an initial matter, it is a reminder that as we travel along our journey, though we may feel lonely, we need never be alone. Whatever our circumstance, we are never alone in this world. Next, we “call our angels,” not with the expectation that they will shield or prevent life’s eventualities, but, among other things, as a source of strength, guidance, support, and compassion, so that we might better face life’s challenges.

In addition, and I believe, the most crucial message: some suffering and pain is largely unavoidable– that is a fact of life. We will experience “the lows,” whether we choose to call them challenges, obstacles, pains, or whatever, it simply does not matter. You must and will face them. In life, we cannot experience the highs without the challenges wrought by “the lows.” They are indeed two sides of the same coin, and there is no one without the other. It is by facing and overcoming the struggles, obstacles and pains, that we are provided the opportunity to achieve growth, understanding and wisdom. It is through our bouts with such obstacles that the highs are even sweeter.

I hope that this song reaches the ears of anyone who feels lost, abandoned, and alone in what can sometimes seem a lonely and uncaring world. Perhaps, he or she will come to understand that even in the midst of their darkest days, there is always light, since where there is darkness, there is also light. They, too, are two sides of the same coin.

Blessings, love, and light, lydia

Calling All Angels lyrics

Santa Maria, Santa Teresa, Santa Anna, Santa Susannah
Santa Cecilia, Santa Copelia, Santa Domenica, Mary Angelica
Frater Achad, Frater Pietro, Julianus, Petronilla
Santa, Santos, Miroslaw, Vladimir
and all the rest

a man is placed upon the steps, a baby cries
and high above the church bells start to ring
and as the heaviness the body oh the heaviness settles in
somewhere you can hear a mother sing

then it’s one foot then the other as you step out onto the road
how much weight? how much weight?
then it’s how long? and how far?
and how many times before it’s too late?

calling all angels
calling all angels
walk me through this one
don’t leave me alone
calling all angels
calling all angels
we’re cryin’ and we’re hurtin’
and we’re not sure why..

and every day you gaze upon the sunset
with such love and intensity
it’s almost…it’s almost as if
if you could only crack the code
then you’d finally understand what this all means

but if you could…do you think you would
trade in all the pain and suffering?
ah, but then you’d miss
the beauty of the light upon this earth
and the sweetness of the leaving

calling all angels
calling all angels
walk me through this one
don’t leave me alone
callin’ all angels
callin’ all angels
we’re tryin’
we’re hopin’
we’re hurtin’
we’re lovin’
we’re cryin’
we’re callin’
’cause we’re not sure how this goes.