For lots of reasons, I've always balked when I hear people use the word "angels." A newsletter from Jack Cheng uses the word in a way that I can get on board with.

Reflecting on a conversation with a friend, Cheng shares an enchanting definition of angels:

We both reminisced about the people who've come into our lives for only the briefest of moments, but who seem to nudge us off our orbit, and send us on an entirely new trajectory.
"There's a word for people like that," V said. "Angels."
"How does it feel then," I said, "to know there might be people out there for whom you're the angel?"
I don't remember her response, but I remember the quiet around it.

This exchange poetically brings the idea of angels down to earth: angels are the fellow humans among us that can set off a sea change. It also reminds us that amidst the chaos of living we have the capacity to beautifully contribute to the lives of others.

Today, remember that there are angels among us. You may even be one. Act accordingly.