The Angel Angle Issue #08

April 1, 2024

Three pinned topics to jump start your day.

I’ve had several great angel experiences this past month, all while traveling. On my way back to Kansas City from a work trip in Nevada, a lady and young girl sat in my row. The lady sat in the window seat and the young girl sat in the middle seat. I handed them both angels and they were so appreciative. Within seconds, I noticed the young girl’s eyes welling up and tears started streaming down her face. She said sorry and I told her not to worry because often I get this reaction from people when I hand them an angel.

I went on to explain about my grandfather, why I pass them out and told her that her crying after receiving one gave me flashbacks to a chapter in the book I recently wrote. The chapter I’m referencing is called Airport Angel and I don’t want to give anything away, but many years ago when I gave a girl in an airport an angel when I saw her crying, it led to a flight full of connection and compassion.

Similar to my experience in the book, the girl sitting next to me opened up that her mom passed away five years prior, and she knew this angel was her mom saying hello. I pulled out a copy of Angel Man and wrote her a note and signed it for her. I told her to read it and that I felt like one chapter in my book reminded me of my moment with her on our plane.

As the flight went on, she opened up about some trauma she’d experienced as a child, teen, college student, and even a recent event in the last six months that made it difficult for her to get on a plane. This was one of her first flights in the last six months.

For someone in her early twenties, she has dealt with more trauma than I’d say many deal with in their lifetime. I found it incredibly powerful and inspiring to hear her describe her journey to finding herself again. She told me that she looks at the things that have happened as important because she’s learned so much about herself through the healing process.

As we continued sharing stories and getting to know each other, she asked me what I did for a living. I told her that the company I work for (Frog Furnishings) manufactures outdoor furniture out of recycled plastic. She asked if the business was in Olathe (which it is) and then asked if I knew a good friend of hers who she thought had worked there (which he had).

It turned out, I hired a guy she knew, who is one of my best friends and who worked for me for eight years. She had toured our plant before while he was still working at Frog and it also turned out I not only knew who she was through stories from my friend, but I also knew her sisters, her brother and even her mom and dad. Her dad and my dad are even friends. Small world.

One of the greatest gifts about passing out these angels, getting to share my book, and trying to spread kindness, is that it opens the door for experiences, conversations, and connections like the ones I share in this newsletter. I am so blessed that within these interactions, I get to learn about others and their own journeys and life lessons.

This SHOUT goes out to my girl Pinkey at Southwest Airlines. On my flight out to Nevada for the trip I just talked about above, I had the pleasure of flying with an incredible flight crew. After we pulled away from the gate, one of the passengers wasn’t feeling well so we turned back to the gate to let them off. Pinkey and her crew were extremely attentive to this passenger and were genuinely concerned for her.

They did such a nice job keeping everyone informed and calm about needing to turn around and I was really impressed with the entire plane remaining easy going. I’ve seen a lot of travelers over my lifetime who lose control in situations like this, who become rude, irritable, mean, and sometimes hostile and I didn’t witness even a second of any of that sort of behavior. Pinkey and her crew were to thank for that in my opinion.

Once we got back to the runway and had taken off, I made my way up front to give the flight attendants some angels and to thank for keeping everyone calm and informed about the delay and when we could expect to take off. I also had one copy of Angel Man on me and told them about the book, then went to get a copy of it when they all said they wanted to buy it.

Since I only had one, I told them all to pick a number between one and twenty and the closest would get a signed copy. I wrote the number on the inside of the back cover, so they’d know which number I really picked. They all made their guesses and Pinkey won. She was so happy and laughing and hugging me and said it was so cool because she never won anything. She asked if we could take a picture, which we of course did. To say I’m having a lot of fun with this whole book thing is an understatement!

It’s April Fool’s Day and as someone who has always loved pranking people, today is often a really fun day for me. For whatever reason, I’ve always enjoyed messing with people. It’s the reaction for me. It’s the moment when their face becomes proof of the realization they’ve been had. I excel at getting that reaction too.

So instead of acting foolish this month, I’ve decided that for the entirety of April, I’m going to do a random act of kindness every day until we reach May. I might pay for a stranger’s coffee or pick up some trash along my morning walking route. I’m going to journal a few lines about each experience and do some reflection at the end of the month.

And so, for this month’s SHINE, I’d love for you all to join in. I’ve done it before and it’s not only rewarding but also not difficult to incorporate into your day. It can be something big or small but from experience, it’s best if you don’t tell anyone. Just do it, write about it, reflect, and keep it to yourself. Good luck!

UPCOMING EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

-Angel Man is being carried in our very first bookstore, Monarch KC in Stanley, Kansas!

—If you’d like me to come speak to your group, please contact me at angelmanbook@gmail.com

—I am now accepting bulk orders for schools, churches, and other organizations.

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