Two Angels in Garda Uniforms

In the last two week I've been to two funerals. Both men were taken before their time. One was in his 60's and the other only in his 20's. Both were taken by cancer and have left devasted families behind....

Sometimes life can seem very cruel and unfair. If we look at it from the limited perspective of this physical world it can be impossible to understand and difficult to accept. For me personally, times like this are made easier by a deep sense of knowing that we are more than just this physical life and this physical body - a sense of being part of something greater.

During my lifetime I have been lucky enough to have had some amazing experiences which have confirmed for me that even after we die we are still very much present with those that we love and in light of the last few week I thought I would share one of those experiences with you today.....

In 2002, my father (JJ McKinney) passed away from Cancer. In the years leading up to his death he loved giving me directions (at times much to my irritation - as he often directed me to places that I knew better than him - like my own house :-))

A few years after his death I was driving back home to Aughrim after attended an event in Naas. It was late evening - well after middnight and I'd never driven the back roads from Naas to Aughrim before so was quite unsure of where I was going. As I was making my way home I noticed that I was very low on petrol and calculated that without a single mistake on the journey I would barely make it home unless I managed to refill.

In the darkness I found it impossible to recognise the way I had come and got completely lost. I seemed to have ended up in the depths of countryside with no villages, nothing I recognised and no signs of life. I did not pass one open petrol station in the whole journey. For miles I had seen nothing but one signpost for "Moone" which as far as I knew definitely shouldnt have been on my journey home!

I pulled in at the side of the road feeling growing panic, I had no idea where I was, I hadnt passed a village in ages and my petrol was rapidly running down, the one thing I did know was that I was on a road to Moone (not a comforting fact considering a woman had dissapeared in that area some time before hand). My imagination started to run wild - with lots of not so nice thoughts!

As I looked at the map, almost in tears, trying to figure out where I was, I prayed to my father to please do something to help me. "J.J. - If there was ever a time that I needed directions - NOW IS THE TIME - please, please, please help me".

Minutes later, I jumped sky high when there was a loud knock on my car window. I turned expecting to see some mad man waiting to get me.... only to see a man in a garda uniform looking through the glass. Behind him I saw a squad car with a female garda inside. For those of you that live in a city this may not seem particularly strange but those of you who live in the countryside will know that it is a VERY, VERY, VERY RARE occassion that you pass a garda car on the back roads. So I consider the timing of this event a minor if not major miracle.

I rolled down the window and the garda asked me what was up. When I explained he laughed and told me I was miles away from where I should be and heading in the wrong direction. He then proceeded to offer me a garda escort back to a road I knew.

The Garda car escorted me through miles of countryside until I was safely back to a route I knew. They then blinked their headlights and with a wave they were gone. I continued on the journey still a little fearful that I would not make it all the way on the remaining petrol but feeling some comfort that I was back on known territory. Eventually after a nervous drive home I arrived outside my house - the petrol indicator was indicating just 1 mile of petrol left !!!!

I immediately felt overwhelmed by emotion and gratitute to my father...not only because I was back safe and sound but more so because at that moment I knew without a doubt that his loving presence was always with me and was always watching out for me and that all I had to do was "ask" and he would be there. I knew without a doubt that when we die we still exist at a greater level! To this day this knowledge has never left me and I have had many other experiences where I have felt the strong protective energy of my father present when I need it.

I sometimes look back to that night and wish that I had rung up the garda stations in the area after the event to find out if they had a patrol car out that night and if they escorted a girl to safety. I wouldnt be surprised if the answer was "no". But physically real or not, it doesnt really matter, because either way I know deep in my heart, that, that night I met two angels sent by my father in garda uniforms and for that I will be eternally grateful.

This post is written in memory of Sean O Brien, Robert Beggs, J.J. McKinney and all those that have lost their lives to cancer - may they rest in peace and forever by present in our hearts.