Angels and Babies (Part One)

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November 27, 2008

When my book, WHERE ANGELS WALK, was published in 1992, I was delighted at the positive response from readers. Although I had expected people to tell me of their own angel experiences, I was surprised at how many parents wrote about their children’s. One morning I settled down with a batch of mail from my post office box, and opened a typical letter. “You’ve done a lot of research on angels,” a young mother wrote. “Have you ever heard of preschoolers seeing things we can’t, or being aware of heaven and angels without anyone prompting them? “

Seeing things we can’t… Dimly, I recalled Peter, an imaginary companion who my four little sons had entertained many years ago. Peter hadn’t “officially” lived with us, but frequently popped in to visit, hear night prayers or share lunch. As an enlightened parent, I had tolerated the fantasy. “Is Peter here today?” I would innocently ask. “Does he want a cookie?”

Now, as I read this letter, something occurred to me that I had never realized before. No matter how impromptu my questions about Peter, my boys had always answered in unison. “No, Mommy,” they would all shake their heads. “Peter didn’t come today.” Or if Peter was supposedly nearby, four pairs of eyes would swing to the same spot in the room. “There he is—can’t you see him?” one would point while the others laughed. I had always taken it as a joke. Well, wasn’t it?

Over the next few weeks, I asked my now-adult sons about Peter, and was rewarded with blank stares. No one recalled our game of pretend. And yet, had it all been make-believe? And if so, why were other parents experiencing the same thing?