“Love falls to earth, rises from the ground, pools around the afflicted. Love pulls people back to their feet. Bodies and souls are fed. Bones and lives heal. New blades of grass grow from charred soil. The sun rises.”  – Anne Lamott, Help. Thanks. Wow.

Saturday morning, on a layover halfway to my destination, it suddenly dawned on me that I’d forgotten my passport. Never in my life have I forgotten an important travel document, and indeed I have reserved a special sort of smug judgment for those who do.

My first thought was to fly thousands of miles home, and then thousands of miles back, thus ensuring I would arrive at least a full day behind schedule. Thankfully my sister was with me, and upon hearing my plan, she gently asked, you have friends, right?

Heroes jumped to the rescue! Dear friends interrupted their weekend to fetch the passport and send it on its way, and a terrifically reliable courier delivered it safely to my wonderful brother in law several states away, who happens to be arriving at this stopover point just as I depart. A miraculous web of helpfulness!

Dear ones, I expect that some of you, like me, have an independence that runs well past the admirable and into the ridiculous. May we all have the chance to practice this simple little prayer.

Help.

And when we do,

may angels and heroes rush to our aid.