With a Little, No, A Lot of Help From My Friends

When I finally returned to my electrically powered home last Wednesday night, I made an unpleasant discovery. Although the snow wasn't quite as high as in this picture, the addition of ice made getting up the front stoop to my door extremely dangerous.  In addition it was very dark outside, since the street lights hadn't yet started to work.

I had no choice. I had to get in the house.  I threw my bag to the door, where it landed safe and sound and out of the snow/ice. Miraculously I managed to pull myself up holding onto the railings we had put up for my father when he lived with us a few years ago.  I stuck one foot into knee deep snow, and the other would be on slippery ice.  It was quite a challenge.  As frightening as that was, I knew that it would be even more dangerous in the morning going down.

Finally, I made it up. Here's the view going down.

I sent a panicky note to the yishuv email list asking for help in digging me a path through the snow and ice.  I managed to get down it in the morning, and all day at work I dreaded coming home to the dangerous steps. Nobody called me to say that it had been taken care of.

But Baruch Hashem, I should have known that my neighbors wouldn't let me down.  I live in Shiloh!!  When I came home from work on Thursday night, I was able to easily walk up the path they made for me.

Looking down the steps a day later.

It took me a couple of days to discover who the angels, the שליחי השם Shlichei HaShem, Messengers from G-d were.  They really saved me.  Now, close to a week later, there's still snow on that side of the house, so this path is vital for my safety.