Have you ever had a near death experience? I hope not. I haven’t either but one of my best friends did last Saturday night. Sunday morning around 9:00 my phone rang. It was my friend calling me from Brigham & Women’s trauma center. My stomach sank and my nervous system went into high gear. She quickly told me that she was OK (big sigh of relief) BUT she had been in a very serious car accident totaling her car.
Apparently after we said “goodbye” from our night out, her car was hit while she was cruising along the middle lane of Route 128. Her car tumbled multiple times landing on its side along the median of the highway. My friend suffered NO broken bones or head trauma. Can you believe that?? What a miracle! The fire department/EMTS used the jaws of life to get her out as quickly as they could and rushed her to the hospital.
My friend has a big shiner on her left eye and lots and lots of stitches across her eye lid up to her brow BUT SHE IS ALIVE. Can you believe that?? Our conversation that morning seemed surreal and all I could think was this….thank g-d that wasn’t our last “goodbye.” At that moment, I truly realized how fragile life is. In a split second, someone like my friend could be gone forever.
This accident hit super close to home as our friendship spans over 30 years. We met in grad school and not only did we grow together professionally but we grew from 22 year old women to rockin'
it at 60!! Our kids are like cousins, living near one another, celebrating holidays and camping in Acadia for many summers. My friend is like a sister to me and my heart opens wide for her healing.
On Monday, I brought her some home cooked meals and drove her to the lot where her car was towed so she could get her belongings. As soon as we saw her car, we stood there frozen in disbelief. My friend shed some tears and I thought to myself, "how is it possible that she survived?" We hugged one another tightly.
The man that towed her car that night was there. As dusk set in, we stood in the parking lot and I’ll never forget what he said to me, “I can’t believe that’s the woman who was driving that car and she is here right now, walking and talking to me.”
Buckle up people. Seat belts save lives
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