Haunted Cosmos: Did This Family Have A Guardian Angel?

Podcast: Haunted Cosmos
Hosts: Ben Garrett & Brian Sauvé
Guest: Thomas Freed
Date: February 18, 2026
Episode: Graveyard Shift

Episode Overview

In this episode of the Graveyard Shift, Ben and Brian are joined by parishioner and friend Thomas Freed, who shares a series of strange, interconnected stories from his family's past. The central question: did Thomas’s family experience the ongoing presence of a guardian angel—or perhaps something else entirely? The discussion veers between humorous banter, chilling anecdotes, and thoughtful reflection on the boundaries of the supernatural in everyday life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet Thomas Freed with Icebreakers

• [02:19] Icebreaker: Thomas is asked about his favorite Lord of the Rings character (Theoden) and does a “two truths and a lie.”

  • Quote: “I think it’s Theoden. He shows a wide range of what it’s like to be a ruler and to have people underneath you, to be fallible, to mess up, to redeem yourself.” - Thomas Freed (02:28)

• [04:52] Two truths and a lie:

  • Says he’s a classically trained pianist, ran for political office, and that spaghetti is his favorite food.
  • The lie: never ran for office.

2. The “Guy” Who Saves Children: A Series of Small Strangenesses

• [07:48] Setting Up the Stories: Thomas notes his childhood was filled with “bizarre happenings,” many unexplainable. He recounts three short tales—always involving the mysterious “guy.”

Story 1: The Monkey Bars Incident

• [09:27]
  • Thomas’s younger sister falls from playground monkey bars onto asphalt, comes out unharmed.
  • When asked how she’s okay, she simply says, “The guy caught me.”
  • No one else was present.
  • Quote: “Well, yeah, but the guy caught me.” - Thomas’s Sister (09:55 as told by Thomas Freed)
  • Generates a discussion on “constant minor amounts of weirdness” in Thomas’s family.

Story 2: The Snow Sheet

• [10:44]
  • Same sister is nearly buried by a heavy sheet of snow sliding off a roof.
  • She emerges fine, explaining, “It’s real lucky that that guy pushed me out of the way.”
  • Again, “the guy” is unseen by adults.

Story 3: The Living Room Presence

• [14:08]

  • Thomas’s other sister reports sometimes seeing “one of dad’s friends” in the living room at night.
  • Family can’t identify this person, who seems to only be seen by the children.

• Reflection: All stories share a mysterious, sometimes nameless male figure helping or watching out for the children—unseen by adults but reported naturally by the sisters.

3. A Terrifying Childhood Dream

• [16:23] Thomas shares the only dream he’s ever remembered vividly.
  • He dreams he’s awake, senses a “malevolent presence” in his sister’s room, and sees her being sucked into a dark portal.
  • A loving, gentle hand (not his father’s) pulls him back—he wakes up.
  • Leaves lasting psychological impact and a sense of being protected.
  • Quote: “There’s this hand on my shoulder, a warm, loving hand that pulls me back...I just get the sense it’s an older gentleman that’s not my dad.” - Thomas Freed (17:53)

4. A Medium-Sized Miracle: The Coat-Connector Angel

• [25:34] Thomas recalls a more “objective” incident involving his family and a mysterious stranger.

The Incident

• [26:54] Family is donating coats on a frigid winter day in Omaha.
• They see a man walking in a thin shirt and jeans.
• [27:01] Dad, uncharacteristically, pulls over, offers ride and coats.
• Man says he lives in a group home—his coat (and others) all ruined by animal urine.
• They drive him to the group home. He helps unload coats and goes to fetch a staff member, Sharon.
• [29:01] Sharon emerges, but the man has vanished—she never saw him enter.
• [29:59] His name, a strange foreign-sounding one, is not remembered by anyone. Sharon denies anyone brought her to them.
• The incident is immediately recognized as highly unusual by the family and staff.
• Quote: “She opens the door to her office and there’s like one tiny window in there. Not even a closet.” - Thomas Freed (31:06)

Angel, Connector, or Coincidence?

• The man’s story about the coats is validated—everyone at the group home did desperately need coats.
• Thomas identifies a whole genre of “connector angel stories” where the angel’s role seems to be simply arranging practical help.
  • Quote: “It seems like the angel’s sole purpose in the story is literally just to connect... the logistics guy.” - Thomas Freed (32:06, 32:20)
• On the drive home, his usually shy sister says:
  • “Yeah, I really like that guy. I wonder when I’ll see him again... he’s always been nice to me.” - Thomas's Sister (33:24 as told by Thomas Freed)

5. Discussion: Angels, Dopplegangers, and Family Weirdness

• The hosts reflect on the nature of the stories—humdrum, not fantastical, but with an “ordinary supernatural” feel.

  • Quote: “I call it small strangeness... not high strangeness, it’s just, like, peculiarities.” - Thomas Freed (35:37)

• Brian and Ben joke about the “logistics angel” and compare it to fictional guardian angels.

• Brian: “That’s one of the best [angel stories] I’ve ever heard.” (36:19)

• Thomas notes that, looking back, his upbringing felt “normal” at the time—compared to life since, it feels much stranger in retrospect.

  • Quote: “Honestly, once we kind of left that whole situation... life was a lot more boring than I was expecting it to be. When I was eight I thought there would be weekend adventures with strange men.” - Thomas Freed (37:43)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “What did your family do to get this? Like, God, what did that angel do? God’s like, ‘You’re gonna have a responsibility. This family’s constantly going to be trying to die, and you’re gonna be there.’”
  - Brian Sauvé (13:41)

• “Take the Niko. Go to sleep now.” [Deadpan, after a creepy “purple man” anecdote about children seeing apparitions.]
  - Thomas Freed (15:51)

• “I call it small strangeness—you know, it’s not high strangeness, just peculiarities.”
  - Thomas Freed (35:37)

• “That’s one of the best [angel stories] I’ve ever heard.”
  - Brian Sauvé (36:19)

• “Even if it wasn’t an angel... how amazing is it that providentially, the Lord orders things so that even just, like, small needs are taken care of?”
  - Ben Garrett (38:44)

Important Timestamps

• 02:19: Lord of the Rings & Icebreakers
• 09:27: Monkey bars, the first “guy” story
• 10:44: Snow incident and mysterious saving “guy”
• 14:08: Sister’s encounters with “dad’s friend”
• 16:23: Thomas’s dream of a malevolent presence and gentle protector
• 25:34: The “coat angel” story begins
• 29:01: The mysterious man disappears
• 32:06: Reflection on “connector angels”
• 33:24: Sister recognizes the “angel” from previous incidents
• 35:37: “Small strangeness,” angelic logistics
• 36:19: Brian calls it one of his favorite angel stories
• 38:44: Ben’s reflection on providence

Tone & Takeaways

• The tone is informal, humorous, and slightly irreverent, but always genuine and curious about the supernatural.
• The stories each blend the mundane with the inexplicable, making the possibility of angelic intervention feel oddly plausible—and a little unsettling.
• Listeners are left to ponder: Do angels sometimes operate in unnoticed, practical roles? Or are these simply strings of providential coincidences interpreted through the lens of faith and childhood memory?

For Listeners

If you enjoy tales where the supernatural brushes up against the everyday and love hosts who keep things light while discussing the strange and the sacred, this is a classic Graveyard Shift episode not to miss.