My brother and I grew up along the central coast of Maine. Three years older than John, I was the big sister that John always looked up to. John and I were very close always standing by each other during our minor indescretions. I always looked out for my little brother. He was only eight years old and the baby in the family. The one time I became irresponsible with him was a near tragedy for us both.

Although there was three years difference in our ages, John and I were almost the same size. A small stream flowed into the sea a few blocks from where we lived. We decided to go to its banks and try and snare some herring. Each spring the herring would enter to spawn, so it was an effortless task to bring home a bucket full. That day the stream was angry from both rain and snow melt, and huge thick cakes of ice had broken free of it's winter covering.

On a whim John and I jumped onto one of the larger cakes and off we went on a perilous course down the stream. My heart raced as I realized what we had done; we couldn't get off. We were swiftly traveling in the center of the stream and shortly we were propelled into a fifty yard wide estuary of the ocean. The arm of the sea was flanked with gigantic pilings.

Dozens of ice chunks surrounded us and our cake was breaking up from the salt water; our weight was sinking us into the frightening depths. I screamed for help and prayed at the same time. Then a miracle happened. A wooden ladder, fastened securely to a piling appeared where yesterday there was none. I yelled at John to jump with me to the ladder. We struggled through chunks of ice and were both up to our armpits in the frigid water, but managed to grab hold and climbed onto the wharf. We dashed for the warmth and safety of our home. Explaining why we were soaked with salt water was almost as frightening as the ordeal we just went through. Mom knew we were only telling half truths.

The next day we felt compelled to return to see what we miraculously escaped from one day earlier. What we saw was a dear old neighbor who was picking up the remnants of yesterday's labor of securing a ladder to his wharf. He smiled and said, "Never know when you might need a ladder." Was that twinkle in his eyes shining with Angelic Love?