Sangha of Auspicious Companions

It was quite a dark and wintry night, and when I arrived back at the Cathedral around 1:30am, the whole area was deserted. I found the all-night security guard and asked him to unlock the gate to the parking lot for me. We walked back to Amsterdam Ave. and up past the front of the Cathedral to the north lot entrance. We were about 50 yards into the lot when we heard a woman’s voice calling to us: “Excuse me! Do you work here?” Both the guard and I were so surprised that at first neither of us responded, and then I called back, “Yes, I guess so.”

“I lost something after the concert tonight and I wanted to look for it where I had parked my car,” she said. “May I come in?”

“Yes, absolutely,” I said. “I’m looking for something too.”

I continued on to our car at the far end of the lot and saw no bag on the ground, so I opened the trunk and was happy to see the bag there, safely tucked inside.

I got the bag, and as I began walking back, I called across the lot to the woman: “Did you find what you were looking for?” And she replied, rather sadly, “No… and it was my favorite blue scarf.”

I expressed my sympathy and continued walking towards her. Then she said, “Wasn’t Paul Winter wonderful tonight! I’m from his home town.”

“You’re from Altoona?” I asked, and walked over to her, taking off my wool hat, so she might recognize me. When she saw my face, she just about fell over. “Oh my gosh, Paul! I can’t believe it’s you. I’m Dee Riley’s daughter, Marla, and I came to the concert tonight with some pictures I was hoping to show you.” (Marla’s late mother, Dee, was a great friend from Altoona who had collaborated with me in producing a big event celebrating the town’s sesquicentennial in 1999.)

We walked back out to Amsterdam Ave., marveling at the unlikely coincidence of both of us returning to this parking lot at the same time in the middle of the night. Under the streetlight, Marla showed me some wonderful photos from the Altoona event in ’99. Then we wished each other a happy solstice, and said goodnight, and I returned to the hotel with the wayward bag.

Chez was relieved to see me and the bag, and I proceeded to tell her this remarkable story of encountering someone from Altoona who had come back in search of her lost blue scarf. Chez immediately said, “Well, there’s a blue scarf over there on the table. Thea (our babysitter) found it on the front steps of the Cathedral as we were leaving, and I was going to take it to the lost-and-found tomorrow.”

I was undone. What are the chances of that? That from among the 2,000 people streaming out of the Cathedral after the concert, it would be Thea who happened to see the scarf and pick it up?

I had no doubt it was Marla’s scarf, and, when I mailed it to her, telling her the second chapter of this remarkable saga, she emailed back:

“Dear Paul. Today I will turn fifty, and I cannot think of a better gift than this fabulous story! It affirms my faith in the universe and makes me feel good all over!”

And there, in Marla’s warm words, was the beautiful message of winter solstice.

Happy New Year!

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Julie and I were out on the perimeter road that runs around where we live. Two dog walkers passed by and we heard one of them say, "Never seen that dog around here before."

We looked down the hill and saw an old black labrador stumbling painfully up the hill. It reached us, and the legs kinda fell out from under it.

We bent down, talked gently to the mutt and patted it. I checked and there was a collar. There was a phone number on the collar, but no one answered.

The dog was so painfully thin that there seemed nothing between its ribs and its pelvis but spine. It didn’t have many teeth left and, well, it just seemed done.

Julie ran home to get some of our dog’s food and mush it up in some milk while I tried to entice the dog to come along with me.

Julie got home and back again when I was only half way there. So, we sat down on the pavement while our new friend made short work of the food.

Eventually we got her home. We gave her a blanket, more food, kept her warm and wondered what to do next.

After phoning and phoning we got a response from the number. A lady came around with a bunch of flowers for us. She explained that Tara had been her father’s dog. She was very old and should probably be put to sleep, but the lady just couldn’t bring herself to do it.

She was so glad we had found her because Tara was almost blind and almost deaf. If she had wandered onto the road …

So, Tara was safely returned home.

Now, here’s the story from Heavenly eyes.

Julie and I were out that morning because I was leaving. She was trying to talk me into coming back, but I wasn’t hearing anything that made that sound likely.

I was about to turn and go – when an old, worn out dog walked between us and collapsed. Suddenly we had something more important than our problems to worry about. There was a creature in need right before us and we had to work together to help it.

We did help it. And here am I writing the story in my own home, amongst my own family.

In the song "Love Is Not A Fight" Warren Barfield talks about marriage and its trials. At one point he sings, "And if we try to leave, may God send angels to guard the door."

Sometimes angels come disguised as dogs.

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