We Had an Accident

Life can change so quickly.

Last week Sunday our family was in a car accident. Actually, it was a van accident. Both vehicles were vans. Let me tell you how I saw it:

We were driving home, just a few blocks away in fact, and I was talking to my husband about my plans the next day. Our son didn't have school, so I was going to take the van to work and then go straight from work to a drama practice. Then I was going to meet with a friend of mine whom I haven't seen for a while. I had cancelled meeting with her, but was going to call her up to see if she still wanted to get together since I figured I would be able to make it after all.

While I was talking, I caught a glimpse of this van that didn't look like it was going to stop at the yield sign. I started screaming, Bruce put on the brakes, and as I watched I saw the other van slam into us. It was very loud and I could hardly believe how hard the other van hit us. I can (and did) scream for what seemed like a very long time. I think in reality, it happened very quickly.

Once the vans were stopped, my main concern was for our kids in the back. I saw in the other van that the air bag had gone off, and the driver looked dazed. But I got out of my side and opened my daughter's door. She was dazed and then she started screaming, too. I kept saying over and over, "It's all right. It's all right," but it was a really fast, kind of panicked tone, and I could tell that she wasn't going to think it was all right from the way I was talking.

Then there was someone telling me to come into their house and sit down. At that point I think I would have done anything that anyone told me to. I just wasn't able to make a decision and definitely wasn't thinking clearly. When someone asked if we wanted an ambulance, I remember saying yes because I wanted to make sure that the kids were okay.

When the ambulance came, the little bit of composure I had gained was beginning to crumble and the tears started coming very easily. I couldn't get up into the ambulance myself, so the attendants said that was okay and they got the stretcher out. Watching them try to get the stretcher at the level that I could sit on was comical. The kids and I were taken into the ambulance. As we were being lifted into the ambulance, the man who hit us was looking at me and kept saying over and over again that he was very sorry. I tried to let him know that I was going to be okay.

While the kids and I were getting checked, I could see that Bruce was a little worried, and asked one of the ambulance guys to check on him. We came out of the ambulance after that, and were standing around while the tow trucks were taking our vans away. I was really sad that they were towing our van away. I loved our van.

We called up some really good friends of ours to give us a ride home, and after they were on their way, the couple who let us use their house said they would have given us a ride home, since we were so close. I was really nervous getting into a car, especially since our kids' car seats wouldn't fit and the kids had to sit in regular seat belts. It was only four blocks, but it was a very long four blocks.

I have been a little edgy (okay, a lot edgy) since the accident, and I found out that I have whiplash. I'm waiting for life to get back to normal and kind of wish the accident was just a bad dream. We did end up getting a nice van - but that's another story, and I think this one is long enough.

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for us. I know that God has been in the middle of all this, and I'm trying to figure out why we were in the accident. It may be like Job, and we'll never know -- but I'd still like to know anyway.