Journal Entry: Ordinary Earth Angels

Dear Journal,

I have been very lucky in my life to encounter what I like to call Earth Angels.

An Earth Angel isn’t a winged being from heaven, though sometimes they feel that way. They are ordinary people who appear in ordinary places, yet they carry extraordinary light. They offer kindness, perspective, or inspiration just when you need it. Sometimes they don’t even realise the impact they’ve made.

The other day, I met another one.

Matt had asked me to bring a couple of my paintings home from my studio to hang in our flat. So, in typical “me” fashion, I carried two very large canvases onto the train. When I got off at my local station, a Big Issue seller I hadn’t seen before stopped me. He asked if he could take a look at my paintings because he was an artist too.

One of the paintings is an abstract with crows, and he surprised me by pointing out a dog hidden within it that I hadn’t noticed. Then he studied the second painting, a colour block piece I didn’t think was finished. Very gently, he said, “I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but this part here feels like a waterfall. I think it could use some rocks.”

And in that instant, I saw it. Suddenly, images of Georgia O’Keeffe and Bob Ross-style landscapes filled my mind. He was right, it was missing rocks! My heart lit up with the spark of inspiration, the kind that only comes when you’re open to being surprised. I promised him I’d bring it back to show him once it was finished.

It reminded me of another Earth Angel I met years ago when I was stranded at the Florence airport. My flight was delayed and eventually cancelled, and a crowd of tired, frustrated travellers gathered in a waiting area, grumbling. A homeless man came to sit next to me. He pulled out some paper and started drawing a marigold. His pen ran out, and he asked if I had one. I gave him my favourite 4-colour Bic pen and a pencil.

He declined my offer of water and food but smiled and carried on with his drawing. Security approached, unsure of what to do, but he remained calm and kind. He even offered to buy me a coffee or glass of wine as thanks for the pen. I declined, but I was touched. Here I was, stuck and annoyed, and instead of stewing in frustration, I had the gift of watching an artist create beauty with whatever he had. It was a reminder that art isn’t optional for some of us — it’s a way of being.

And it shifted my whole perspective: being delayed in Florence wasn’t so bad after all.

These experiences remind me that Earth Angels can look like anyone: a stranger on a street corner, a fellow traveller, a neighbour. They may not stay long in our lives, but their presence leaves an imprint, a message, a moment of gratitude, a spark of inspiration.

So today, I give thanks to these ordinary Earth Angels with extraordinary power. They remind us that even in the most everyday moments, magic is possible.

With gratitude,

ChantalG