WHY I WENT ON A 7000 MILE ROADTRIP GIVING AWAY ANGEL PINS

Patricia Gallagher
215-272-1933
369 Washington Street (parsonage)
Royersford, PA 19468

Trusting the Power of P’s in My Life

My name starts with a P – maybe that is why I am holding fast to the Power of P's in my life. Pain, problems, prayer, pins,… my dear little angel pins.
I began to doubt that life would be "normal" again. I was weighted with failures, mistakes, doubts, and struggles. I recalled terrible disagreements, depression, and my daughter's car flipping on a lonely stretch of highway, illnesses, and fears.
"Do you think it is a coincidence that my prayers are being answered by lots of P words?" I said to Marcie, my best friend. She said, "I feel that God is showing you GOD-incidences. He is also telling you not to dwell on past failures"
I had hopelessly floundered for five years, exhausted and overwhelmed. As one problem was solved, three more appeared. Our counselor panicked at the latest situation.
" I have never seen such a rash of pain in one family." “God, why is this happening?" It was a plea for guidance.
I cried, wailed and moaned.... and prayed harder than ever. I was angry – raging at the people that had caused my problems; infuriated at the way my life was going.
In 1999, I started an angel pin project. It was my own tough times that created what I called THE SEND A TEAM OF ANGELS TO HELP movement. I figured that when you are in despair, you need a whole team on your side. It provided an income for my family. I distributed 78,500 team of angels lapel pins and received 30,000 heartwarming letters from people around the world – a contrite killer on death row, a woman whose triplets were killed by a drunk driver and a mother who credited the pin with helping her find a kidney donor. The common theme was that the little angel pin carried a message of hope.
I discontinued it when a bad rainfall flooded the garage where I kept my pins, files, poems and supplies. My eyes fill with tears at the thought.

I moved in with my mother. "The angel pins are gone. The project is over. I guess it is time for me to start something new" I wept, "How am I going to begin again? I don't want to go in a new direction. I worried that the mortgage would go unpaid and I would be mired in debt again.
God, where do you want us to live? Where is home for my family?
The following day I saw a beautiful stone home on the property of an old church. The sign read PARSONAGE FOR RENT. The touch of the sun and the gentle breeze quieted my anxiety. "I love it," I said to myself. The tall trees, the wooden bench, the steeple pointing towards God, the gardens, the stained glass windows, the bell tower all seemed to say WELCOME - YOU ARE HOME. The bright glow of the sun reflected on the stained glass and seemed to pour healing towards the stone house.
I had a small amount of money in the bank to be used as a down payment for a house. I didn't have a job. I was separated from my husband of 25 years. By the grace of God, we settled in by Sunday.
I loved my home, so peaceful and special. I struggled with the Why's though. God, why did you bring me here? Why can't I find a job? How do you want me to provide for my family?
My small savings was depleting rapidly - rent, utilities, car expenses, and college tuition for three daughters.
I began to have an image at night, which became almost an obsession. Staring at walls and ceiling, the clock ticked relentlessly on, minutes, then hours as I lay in my bed, wide awake.

The recurring dream, the one I could no longer dismiss, seemed to say, "Make 50,000 more TEAM OF ANGELS PINS and give them away.
I was not in a position to take on such a venture. An inner voice spoke to me" "What if you never try it, Trisha. You will be ninety years old, sitting in a rocking chair wondering what would have happened if you had tried it.”
I went to a park. I mused, as I looked upward - I was looking to the clouds for a sign - maybe I was expecting the swirling of angels. Preferably a trio of angels! I went to eight churches - asking the God of all faiths, Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran, Unitarian, Jewish, Episcopal, Protestant, and Baptist, for help.
I thought of the people who had come to my house in recent months - depressed, lonely, discouraged, sick, and hopeless. I agonized for the Katrina victims, the coal miner's relatives, frail sick relatives, those serving in Iraq. And what about World Trade Center survivors, the people who lost someone - couldn't they use a team of angels too?
I thought of how in my own life I had felt all of those desperate feelings. I asked God why He had put so many traumas and trials in my life. In the quiet recesses of my mind I heard a voice saying, "So you can truly relate to the pain of those who need your pins." God seemed to continue - "Trisha, if you step out in faith, I will provide.”
I implored God, "It seems foolhardy. Please send me a sign." I had said to myself "I will know it is right if it is "seamless" - like a garment without seams, flowing effortlessly. I turned the computer on. The first word that popped on the screen was SEAMLESS. I received a card in the mail that said STEP OUT IN FAITH. I opened a book and saw the words “Increase our faith!"
I still couldn’t bring myself to borrow the money to make this "thing" happen. What if it was just a crazy, hair brained, silly notion?
I noticed the date February 2 - my deceased brother's birthday. He was a go-getter. He seemed to tell me JUST DO IT! That night, I stepped out in faith and did it. I was officially into this, ready or not! No more excuses, what better way to strengthen my faith than to give the little I had and ask God to do something with it?
I ordered 50,000 gold team of angels lapel pins. I asked my dad for help from heaven. I sat by his grave with a blank piece of paper in my hand. I looked up to the sky. I let my unconscious mind scribble the words that I heard, in my mind.
Trisha, we will send people to help you. You won't be alone. We will provide what you need to pass the message of the angels. You can do it. You will see lots of small acts of kindness. I am with you. Love, Dad.
Oh boy, I muttered to myself, I better not tell my kids about this - they'll say, "Now she is hearing voices!" I could just picture them rolling their eyes.
My heavenly Father, God, has created a patchwork quilt for my life. He took my pain and problems, forced me to pray, made a pin, and guided me on a new path.


Oh, now how in heaven’s name will this all happen? I laughed to myself and listened to a whisper from God, "Remember, Trisha, how you love tea, hospitality and people. Why don't you visit lots of US cities and ask anyone who believes in this to host a tea - in a church social hall, nursing home, hospital, sewing circle or restaurant. You can share the story of the team of angels. Anyone who would like to share the "pass-it-along" angel pin can take the pins and begin passing them along." It sounded farfetched but intriguing.
I told a friend in Maryland about the idea. He asked, " How are you going to do this?" I answered by Divine Providence. "I have a teacup overflowing with pennies here on my kitchen counter. I was wondering what I was going to do with them. I'll get them to you." I told a friend about that conversation and she said, " I have a cup of change. I'll get that to you." This morning I found a plastic bag with seventy pennies on my porch.
I went to an empty church with a notebook. To me the idea is to pass along a symbol of caring that is interfaith and inspirational. I sat and waited for the words to fall onto the paper. I wrote the following words as I daydreamed:
I wondered what would happen if I made 50,000 angel pins and passed them out to those who felt disconnected, overwhelmed, sad, tired, afraid, discouraged, angry, depressed, lonely, hurt or resentful. Please know that I am praying for you whenever you wear this pin. When you see someone who needs it more than you do, kindly pass it along. I hope that the three angels bring peace to your home, your heart and our world.
And maybe just one more P …I wish you all the power of hope in your Home Sweet Home.


The grand finale: I did this, I really did it. I went on a 7000 mile roadtrip and distributed thousands of team of angel pins to hurting people nationwide.