Touched by an Angel
All that I owe..
My angel-friend
In our Christmas competition this year, we asked you to tell us how
you had been "Touched by an  Angel'
in your life. Whether at any point you had this feeling that there was
something special or someone special who had reached out and given you
hope and comfort when you needed it most.
And indeed we had many wonderful heartwarming entries. And here at last
are the two winners who will get the chance to spend a blissful holiday
at the Tea Factory Hotel at Kandapola.
Congratulations to:
1)Charmaine Tillekeratne
160/6 Subadrarama Road,
Nugegoda.
2) Ruvinie Nanayakkara,
99B Templar Road,
Mount Lavinia
You will receive your holiday vouchers shortly. A big 'thank you' to
all our readers who wrote in and may there always be an angel watching
over you. That's our wish for you this Christmas.
All that I owe..
As I was lying in hospital, severely ill with an attack of dengue, I saw
two angels. They stayed by my bed every night for fourteen days. They were
there to hold my hand when the needle pierced my arm and to soothe me when
the pain was excruciating. They never left my side or thought of getting
any rest for themselves and whenever I called out, they were right there
beside me.
Looking back I realized that these two angels have been with me ever
since I was born. I just did not realize this, for they had taken the form
of humans. They fed me and clothed me and kept me warm and safe during
my infant years. They taught me and counselled me and encouraged me in
my teen years. And now, even though I am supposed to be an adult, I know
that I can still count on them to be there through life's rocky paths.
These angels are none other than my parents. Most of us think that miracles
take place only if we see some sort of a heavenly apparition. But to me,
God has performed a great miracle by giving me my wonderful parents. It
is as if He appointed my own personal angels to look after me in my life's
journey. But just like the air, trees and animals, this miracle too goes
unnoticed and unappreciated by many of us.
I too am guilty of this. I sometimes wonder why God chose me to bestow
such a lovely gift when there are so many others who have never known what
it is to have a mother's loving care and a father's steady guidance.
So you see I have been "Touched by Angels". The only difference is that
these angels remain with me for a lot longer than the duration of a T.V.
programme. Abraham Lincon once said the "All that I am, I owe to my angel
mother". I would like to change that and say, "All that I am, I owe to
my angel parents".
Charmaine Tillekeratne
Nugegoda.
My angel-friend
It was January '98, and I had moved back to my parents' house for one week.
My life was in turmoil.
This was a rough time for me since I sincerely loved my husband. I had
to take a decision about my life and my parents influenced me to separate
from him.
We had been sweethearts from our late teens and with a fairy tale marriage,
like any other woman I too wanted to spend my life with the person I loved
most. With the birth of my two daughters I wanted to be a good mother,
do good work, and above all, to enjoy true love and security.
But ultimately our visions changed. We had our differences. The separation
was like death to me. I was very hurt, I wanted to end my life. I suffered
from accute depression and the children were terribly affected.
One night I almost decided to end my life and then I saw an angel, my
dearest friend - Berni - sitting next to me.
She embraced me and we both cried for nearly half an hour. My life changed
totally from the next day. My friend took over. She made sure I had no
time to waste.
She took me into a world of laughter and made me realize that life was
worth living. She gave me a chance to work at her institution.
My friend's emotional support and understanding and her sympathy was
like being touched by an angel.
Now I am enjoying a new found sense of freedom and creativity and a
level of control over my life, that I never had before.
I will always be indebted to my angel/friend for the immense strength
she gave me.
Ruvinie Nanayakkara
Mount Lavinia
'Festive specials' at Tea Factory
If you're looking to get away from it all and enjoy a cool, relaxed holiday,
the Tea Factory Hotel is the place for you. Its romantic setting amidst
a tea plantation makes it the perfect place to unwind. The cosy ambience
of this unique theme hotel can be enjoyed by the whole family.
The Tea Factory also has many wonderful plans for holiday-makers this
festive season. There's a traditional Christmas Eve Dinner with some great
hotel specialities like Tea Consomme and Royal Strawberry Dips apart from
the turkey on the menu and the Family Christmas Day lunch which comes with
a free glass of champagne and a Christmas gift. There's also the New Year's
Eve Gala Dinner with live music and champagne to welcome 2002 in.
The Tea Factory also holds kiddies' parties and company Christmas parties,
so if you're looking for somewhere different, it's the perfect place to
pick this season. |
