A 19-year-old man went over a cliff at the Oregon coast in his pickup. The truck was demolished but he was unhurt except for a small cut on his forehead. He claimed that when he went through the window he was caught by an angel. He said he saw the arms.

The 16-year-old daughter of a friend of mine overturned the family car on a narrow, twisting road and was unhurt. She told her mother that an angel held up the car enough for her to climb out from under it.

I think, in addition, that sometimes we perform the role of angel for each other, maybe in response to an invisible nudge. On May 3, a couple of weeks ago, I chose carefully the early morning city bus I would have to catch to get to the university about 15 miles from here to keep a commitment I had made. The bus didn't come. When I checked the bus schedule I found that half-hour bus service doesn't begin until after 8:00. Which meant that I wouldn't get there until after 9:00 and I was supposed to be there at 8:30.

For about two minutes - not more - I asked myself what I was going to do. Take a taxi? Expensive. Call a neighbor? But she didn't get up until after 8:00.

Then an unfamiliar pickup truck swooped to the curb and a friend I hadn't seen for more than 6 months - he lives in the Valley - called out, Where you headed? I said, To the University! He said, Hop in. I'll take you there.

We got there in time to have a cup of coffee before my meeting.