Do you feel you've ever met an angel or alien and didn't know it?

 Have you ever encountered an angel or an extraterrestrial without realizing it at the time?

I was severely assaulted on the street when I was 21 by a gang of (men? or women?) They broke my arm, and I had to have many surgeries to rebuild it. The incident was devastating; I was unable to complete my first significant public art commission for the city where I lived in time, was unable to work or drive, was unable to dress, and was taking large amounts of medication that caused me to feel extremely queasy because of the intense pain.

I have never felt anything so horrendously terrible, to this day. I was at risk of losing my spot at a school in New York for the autumn if I didn't recover. In addition, my dad, with whom I was living at the time, expelled me from the house because he was furious with me for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and being hurt.

After the initial operation, they kept me in the hospital for an extended period of time. Three Indian ladies wearing white coats entered my room as everyone else left the house to talk about the situation; my parents weren't there. I mistakenly believed that these were the psychiatrists I was meant to visit.

When the tallest and oldest one asked me why I was sobbing, I explained the situation above. All three of us grinned serenely, and she grasped my hand while advising me to keep my composure. You must assist yourself. It won't be too horrible; everything will work out. You'll be alright, I assure you. Avoid being furious. They exited the room and I was shocked to tears.

Later, my parents and my surgeon—a huge man with a red nose—came in. "You were meant to visit the psychologist and therapists today, did anybody come to see you?" he said as he looked over my paperwork. Yes, I said, and so did three female physicians. What? he scowled. I have no idea who they were, but it indicates nobody has yet visited you.

Resilience was a theme of that summer. Everything had been taken from me, and the only way to recover was to go within, maintain my composure, and assist myself. I sometimes wonder who they were even though I'm not sure whether they just neglected to record their presence.