This will probably be the hardest thing that I will have to write. In this season of thanksgiving I have much to be thankful for. On Thursday I traveled to Syracuse to visit my eldest sister and her family. As we sat down to a pretty much traditional Caribbean thanksgiving dinner my brother in law said grace. My dad looked over to me and said he was so glad I was there. That may seem like an odd statement to make but in light of the circumstances it made sense.
You see, according to all accounts, I should not be here. Even after a week and a half it is still hard to wrap my mind around the reality of what happened. Seeing it happen to someone else on television is one thing. Experiencing it first hand...surreal.
According to the witnesses my life and the lives of 3 of my dearest friends should have ended at around 9:15pm on 11/18/08 on a stretch of road outside of Hampton,VA. After watching the car spin out (at 60mph), hit a guard rail, flip over several times, skid on its roof and side, hit another guard rail, then come to a stop one witness said she expected to see bodies. Instead she saw four young women, shaken and bruised, yet alive.
I remember the sounds, the metal scraping, gears grinding, the deafening silence broken only by a whispered "Jesus" followed by an equally quiet "everything will be ok"; the sights, rows of headlights, the stars, sparks flying.
Some said we were lucky, some said it was a miracle. I say that on that road that night life and death stood face to face but mercy stepped in and said NO.
3 comments:
After talking to one of your friends who was in the accident, I agree that it is a miracle that you are all alive to tell the story. I had to poke fun at her, though, when she said that everyone's purse flew out of the car except for hers! Well, hers weighs about 50 pounds, so I think we know why it stayed! I'm glad everyone is OK -- not exactly the kind of vacation memory you want to have.
I'm reading this at work. I got teary at your dad's comment. Our accident still seems surreal to me. As I pay my bills and make to do lists for tonight, I'm so greatful its me paying my bills and not my parents trying to do so on my behalf. I pray the four of us continue to live our lives fulfilling God's purpose for us.
Tears are falling down my face reading that. I agree with what your father said. With my whole heart I agree because tell the truth I wouldn't know what to do without my sister being here. That is one of the things I am grateful for.
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