EB blogger Ghania Dib
Weekday mornings are a little hectic at my place as I run around getting three kids ready for school and pre-school, packing school lunches, urging the kids to eat their breakfast, feeding our puppy Milo, cleaning up after Milo and if I can fit in it, washing my face! All this and it’s barely 8am. Most days I’m lucky if I get to brush my hair in the morning.
Friday morning was no different, except that I had made plans to meet up with my sister and a close friend for breakfast. It was rare that I’d allow my self the indulgence of a day off from work but I had decided that since I’d been working especially hard the past few weeks, I deserved a break and was looking forward to some quality time with two of my favourite people. Breakfast was to be followed by a trip to the travel agency to book my first overseas trip in 14 years – a week in Turkey with one of my best friends and a week in London catching up with friends and taking some time to carry out some research for a book I’m working on.
I had no idea that less than an hour later I would be living one of my worst nightmares.
When the kids got into the car before we left home for the drive to school, Maya (3) refused to sit in her booster chair. But, as always, I insisted she had to sit in her booster and strapped her in.
The drive to school was nothing unusual. I dropped Isaac (7) and Mariam (5) off at school and continued the drive to Maya’s preschool. Only minutes away from the pre-school as I was driving straight down a busy road, I was absolutely shocked to see a car suddenly jump out of a side street and straight into my path. I tried to break but the other car was too close and avoiding a collision was an impossibility.
Even though I wasn’t speeding, the force with which my car hit the other car was stronger than anything I had ever experienced. It all happened so quickly. One minute I’m driving along, looking forward to the day ahead and the next I’m surrounded by air bags and smoke. I think I passed out for a few seconds and when I came to, I was in a state of absolute shock. The interior of the car was covered in smoke and I remember thinking “I have to get Maya out of here”.
What ensued was an attempt to scream for help and frustration as my voice failed me. I tried to open the car door but was initially unable to budge it and then, by some unknown force, I managed to push it open wide enough for me to squeeze through. I got out, pulled Maya out of her car seat, walked a several steps and almost collapsed on the side of the road.
I was in a state of complete shock. But even then, with the world spinning crazily and darkness threatening to engulf me, I knew that I had managed to do the most important thing - ensure both the safety of myself and that of my child.
What followed was a horrible experience - watching the unconscious driver of the other car stuck in the driver seat, watching her get cut out of her vehicle, both cars getting towed away most definitely to be written off, feeling my self slipping in and out of consciousness and feeling my body convulsing in the ambulance. And through all of that, I remember praying to God, asking Him to let both myself and the other driver (also a mother of young children) get through this experience unharmed so that we could both continue to be there for our children.
Thankfully I have walked out of the experience with (hopefully) nothing more a battered, slightly bruised body, a lingering headache and a deferred overseas trip. I have spent the past three days and nights in a state of extreme exhaustion, wanting nothing more than to rest and be in bed. Of course, most often that has not been possible. Not with three kids and a puppy in the house.
But if anything good has come out of this experience, it’s an awareness of my inner strength and all the blessing that I often take for granted. Simple things such as good health, being surrounded by loved ones, hearing the contagious laughter of one of my children, taking a moment to bask in the sun’s rays, the safety provided to our children by something as simple as a booster chair and getting through a day unharmed. And most of all, I am grateful that Maya was unharmed. I feel blessed for the gift of having walked away from the accident with my body and mind intact and being able to return home to my children’s welcoming arms.
Have you had an experience or read about something, recent or distant, that reminded you of the gift of life and its daily blessings? I’d love to hear your stories.
Comment on Ghania's blog here.
