Please bear with me.
This post is about three things. Thanks, a Plea and an Apology.
Yesterday morning I posted this picture of my childrens first day of school.
Less than an hour after school got out, my oldest daughter Morgan {my blondie on the right} had a head-on collision with a full size pick-up.
This is what her car looked like at the scene of the accident.
And Praise the Lord, she is OK!!
She has many bruises and abrasions. Most are from the safety features keeping her IN the car. What amounts to burn marks on her forearms and chin from the airbag deployment. Abrasions on her collar bone and hips from the seat belt, and a small cut and bruises on her feet. Oh, and one broken flip-flop!
How blessed are we?
The first thing I have to say is a huge thanks! Thanks to our Heavenly Father for keeping my baby safe in an accident that could so easily have taken her life. I know he wrapped his loving arms around her as the car was crushed and spun like a top. Additional thanks to the Father for protecting the gentleman and his teenage daughter who were in the truck she turned in front of. {Yes, the accident was her fault. But as they say, accidents happen. We are moving on and learning from it.}
Thanks to all the rescue personnel who responded so amazingly fast and who took such good care of all of us. Thanks to the bystanders who stopped and cared for her until we could. Thanks to the Ford Motor Company for building a car with enough safety features to hold up to the impact of an oncoming truck. And a huge thanks to my husband!
He was traveling about a mile or so behind her and I can only fathom how he must have felt in those few moments between realizing the crushed car was ours and making it to her side and finding out she was ok. His phone call to me was urgent, but reassuring! Thanks babe!!
The second thing I want to share is a plea to everyone who might read this.
If you and your family are already seatbelt wearers, thank God! If you aren't, please, please, please start!! My daughter has injuries from the impact her body had when the seatbelt did it's job and kept her in the car. With as hard as she obviously hit that belt, I don't even want to think about what would have happened had she not been wearing it. Seatbelts have been a habit for our children since infancy. Please make sure it's one for you and your kids as well. I have NO doubts that without her ingrained habit to wear her belt, our family would have been permanently changed yesterday.
And for the apology. This one goes out to my husband.
When we went shopping for a car for Morgan to drive, he wanted a newer, "safer" car, I said she needed an old beater. That's what I had growing up and what I think is typical for most teenagers. I hated the idea of putting a new car in the hands of an inexperienced driver. Plus, I hated the idea of making the payment! He stood his ground, and I was eventually convinced. I truly don't think it was the safety features that made me give in, more like I hate car shopping and just wanted it to be over!
Every time we discussed our bills, I would gripe about making the payment on a car of that caliber for a teenager. At one point, we even went so far as to see if we could trade it in on an older car. {buyers remorse} But that didn't happen, and I thank God for it.
When I saw the engine of the car lying on the ground and thought about the car I drove in high school... well that engine would have been in her lap. This car didn't allow even one bit of the front of the car to intrude into the passenger cabin!
So thank you honey, I know I don't say it very often, but I'm sorry I griped, and you were RIGHT!!
His persistence that we buy a safe car meant my baby girl went to her second day of school today {she insisted} instead of the hospital, or worse.
I know this post isn't fun or pretty, but it is life in all it's blessings, heartache and joy. And believe me when I tell you, I'm feeling every one of those things today!
So hug your kids a little tighter, linger just a little longer the next time you kiss your spouse, say an extra prayer {added to the 10 you already say} when they walk out that door and love 'em all as if there's no tomorrow!!
Oh, and if you would, I'd so appreciate it if you'd say a little prayer for my Morgan today. For her future safety as well as her quick recovery!
Thanks so much for allowing me to share my heart with you. I can't share enough how utterly blessed I know we are!!
I'm linking to a few of these blogs. If sharing our experience can convince even one person to start wearing their seatbelt, then this traumatic event was not in vain!