so today . . . i was thinking about the whole "rollie chases bass amp across parking lot, but to no avail as amp hits porsche despite his best efforts at stopping it" incident. some of you have been wondering how things turned out. so as requested, here is the rest of the story. and of course, i had to put it into a top ten list.
TOP TEN THINGS I DIDN'T TELL YOU BEFORE ABOUT THE "INCIDENT."
10. the lawyer actually turned out to be very nice.
9. the porsche wasn't new. but it was newly restored.
8. it was, however, new enough to have an alarm system. or an alarm system was part of the restoration. because when the amp smacked into the car, the alarm went off. and kept going. and going. and going. fortunately there was no one in the parking lot. although, that kind of begs the question, how effective is a car alarm if it goes off and no one comes...
7. the spot where the amp hit had been previously hit, and repaired. that's why a big chunk fell off.
6. since the porsche had just been restored, the owner understandably wanted to take it back to the shop that had done the restoration. that seemed reasonable to us--if we were in his situation, that is what we would want to do too. so we had an estimate in just a couple of days.
5. the estimate is not in the thousands of dollars--it is only a few hundred dollars. (i hesitate to use the word "only" in front of the words "hundreds of dollars," but the fact is, that repair bill could easily have been in the thousands if it had been a brand new car.)
4. our car insurance probably won't cover it. but the church's insurance probably will, since it was a church activity. although, it will make the premiums go up, so we may not submit it to the insurance.
3. the amp is fine. it is big and heavy and solid. it was turned so that a corner is what hit the porsche. that may have resulted in more damage to the car, but probably also in less damage to the amp--like none. you can't even tell that it went on an adventure...
2. rollie is fine. this may seem obvious, but i can't help but wonder what would have happened if he had been able to catch up with the amp. that thing was moving FAST! and as i said, it is heavy! would he have been able to stop it? would it have thrown him over and onto the porsche? would it have flipped him onto the pavement and run over him? so many questions...
and the number one thing i didn't tell you before...
1. rollie never did play his bass guitar. so as it turns out, the whole thing could have been avoided--if we had just left the amp at home and gone in my car...
and there it is. just another one of those things that seems to have happened for no reason other than to supply material for a blog. or two :)
Showing posts with label accident. Show all posts
Showing posts with label accident. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
a halloween horror story: three mistakes
so today . . . is halloween. and i have a horror story for you. but it is ok, because even while you are saying "eeeek!" you will also laugh. i think.
last sunday, rollie and i went to manhattan beach for pastor's retreat. this is a yearly event where the nazarene pastors in our area get together, ostensibly to rest and recharge. there is some resting that happens (usually after midnight,) and recharging (usually monday afternoon at lunch... and maybe at the movies,) but we also have times of worship and a special speaker.
rollie got a phone call on sunday from the pastor who was going to lead worship. he wasn't bringing a whole band--it was just going to be him and his guitar. but he thought it might be a good addition if rollie played his bass as well. rollie, who loves to play the bass, said sure!
that was mistake #1.
i had thought we might drive my car--my cute, little, fun, fast car--on this short break from reality. but when i learned that rollie's bass guitar, and more importantly, his giant amp were going along with us, i knew we would be driving the rodeo. which was actually fine with me--the weather was supposed to be a little bit cloudy and cool, and maybe rainy anyway.
we got to the hotel, checked in, and carried our bags to our room. rollie unpacked, because even though we were only going to be there for two nights, it's what he does. i, on the other hand, tend to start out with everything in my suitcase, but over the course of my stay i scatter things about. so by the time we leave my suitcase is empty, but there is no organization to how it gets that way...
when we were settled, rollie said he was going to go down and bring his guitar and amp in and get it set up to play. i kicked back on the couch (yes, we had a pretty nice room. not as large as some people--jim and dan--but it was still really nice,) and read a book.
several minutes later, and earlier than i had expected, rollie returned. "you are not going to believe this," he said.
what usually follows after someone says those words is rarely good. those words are hardly ever followed with "we won the lottery!" or "i just saw robert downey, jr!" or "the blazers won the championship!" (ok, we did hear those last words once, a long time ago...)
he continued. "i took the amp out of the rodeo, turned around to close the door (that was mistake #2,) and when i turned back, the amp was gone!"
what?!?! (this is what i was thinking) how could someone sneak up behind him and carry that thing away without him knowing it. it is huge! it must weigh over 100 pounds! and how will he be able to play without an amp! he needs that thing...
i looked at him quizzically. he continued. "i heard someone shouting, so i turned the other way and a flight attendant was yelling at me 'it's rolling!' when i realized what she was saying, i turned back, and it was rolling across the parking lot, picking up speed as it went!"
(oh, did i mention that his amp is on wheels? apparently really strong, sturdy wheels...)
i laughed. i could just picture it. he went on, "it isn't funny! i took off after it, running as fast as i could, but i couldn't catch it. it rolled about 50 yards! and it hit a car."
uh oh. "yes," he said. and then he stopped and shook his head. "it hit a porsche."
are you kidding me?!?!?! he hit a porsche?!?!? with his bass amp?!?!?!? all i can think is, i wonder if our car insurance will pay for it. i mean, it wasn't our car that hit it, but it was sort of a vehicle. it had wheels...
"was it a new porsche?" i asked, praying that it was an already dented 15 year old model.
"i couldn't tell," he said, "but it looked pretty new." he went on to tell me that the amp rolled into a section of the parking lot that was almost deserted, except for two cars--the porsche and an older suv. (rollie's car is the red one on the left with the tire on the back. the porsche was parked on the right where that person is standing.)
it went right past all the empty parking spaces, sneaked past the suv, and hit the porsche right above the wheel well. and when he got there, just two steps behind the runaway amp, he could see that it had taken out a huge gouge. he left a note on the windshield, and his contact info at the front desk, because it was raining and he was afraid it might make the note on the car illegible. ( just wait, it gets better...)
oh yes, it was also raining--one of the five days that it rains here every year.
when he got done telling me the story, he just sat there, shaking his head in disbelief. he looked a little sick. visions of angry porsche owners and thousand dollar repair bills were dancing in our heads. "well," i said, "there isn't a lot you can do about it. i guess we will just have to wait until he calls back..."
and so we waited. and he called back. but somehow rollie's phone sent the call straight to voicemail. when he realized he had missed the call, he immediately returned it, only to reach the porsche owner's own voicemail. and this is what he heard... (get ready, here it comes...)
"hello, you have reached the law offices of..."
yep. he didn't just hit a porsche--he hit a porsche that was owned by a lawyer! (that was mistake #3)
last sunday, rollie and i went to manhattan beach for pastor's retreat. this is a yearly event where the nazarene pastors in our area get together, ostensibly to rest and recharge. there is some resting that happens (usually after midnight,) and recharging (usually monday afternoon at lunch... and maybe at the movies,) but we also have times of worship and a special speaker.
rollie got a phone call on sunday from the pastor who was going to lead worship. he wasn't bringing a whole band--it was just going to be him and his guitar. but he thought it might be a good addition if rollie played his bass as well. rollie, who loves to play the bass, said sure!
that was mistake #1.
i had thought we might drive my car--my cute, little, fun, fast car--on this short break from reality. but when i learned that rollie's bass guitar, and more importantly, his giant amp were going along with us, i knew we would be driving the rodeo. which was actually fine with me--the weather was supposed to be a little bit cloudy and cool, and maybe rainy anyway.
we got to the hotel, checked in, and carried our bags to our room. rollie unpacked, because even though we were only going to be there for two nights, it's what he does. i, on the other hand, tend to start out with everything in my suitcase, but over the course of my stay i scatter things about. so by the time we leave my suitcase is empty, but there is no organization to how it gets that way...
when we were settled, rollie said he was going to go down and bring his guitar and amp in and get it set up to play. i kicked back on the couch (yes, we had a pretty nice room. not as large as some people--jim and dan--but it was still really nice,) and read a book.
several minutes later, and earlier than i had expected, rollie returned. "you are not going to believe this," he said.
what usually follows after someone says those words is rarely good. those words are hardly ever followed with "we won the lottery!" or "i just saw robert downey, jr!" or "the blazers won the championship!" (ok, we did hear those last words once, a long time ago...)
he continued. "i took the amp out of the rodeo, turned around to close the door (that was mistake #2,) and when i turned back, the amp was gone!"
what?!?! (this is what i was thinking) how could someone sneak up behind him and carry that thing away without him knowing it. it is huge! it must weigh over 100 pounds! and how will he be able to play without an amp! he needs that thing...
i looked at him quizzically. he continued. "i heard someone shouting, so i turned the other way and a flight attendant was yelling at me 'it's rolling!' when i realized what she was saying, i turned back, and it was rolling across the parking lot, picking up speed as it went!"
(oh, did i mention that his amp is on wheels? apparently really strong, sturdy wheels...)
i laughed. i could just picture it. he went on, "it isn't funny! i took off after it, running as fast as i could, but i couldn't catch it. it rolled about 50 yards! and it hit a car."
uh oh. "yes," he said. and then he stopped and shook his head. "it hit a porsche."
are you kidding me?!?!?! he hit a porsche?!?!? with his bass amp?!?!?!? all i can think is, i wonder if our car insurance will pay for it. i mean, it wasn't our car that hit it, but it was sort of a vehicle. it had wheels...
"was it a new porsche?" i asked, praying that it was an already dented 15 year old model.
"i couldn't tell," he said, "but it looked pretty new." he went on to tell me that the amp rolled into a section of the parking lot that was almost deserted, except for two cars--the porsche and an older suv. (rollie's car is the red one on the left with the tire on the back. the porsche was parked on the right where that person is standing.)
it went right past all the empty parking spaces, sneaked past the suv, and hit the porsche right above the wheel well. and when he got there, just two steps behind the runaway amp, he could see that it had taken out a huge gouge. he left a note on the windshield, and his contact info at the front desk, because it was raining and he was afraid it might make the note on the car illegible. ( just wait, it gets better...)oh yes, it was also raining--one of the five days that it rains here every year.
when he got done telling me the story, he just sat there, shaking his head in disbelief. he looked a little sick. visions of angry porsche owners and thousand dollar repair bills were dancing in our heads. "well," i said, "there isn't a lot you can do about it. i guess we will just have to wait until he calls back..."
and so we waited. and he called back. but somehow rollie's phone sent the call straight to voicemail. when he realized he had missed the call, he immediately returned it, only to reach the porsche owner's own voicemail. and this is what he heard... (get ready, here it comes...)
"hello, you have reached the law offices of..."
yep. he didn't just hit a porsche--he hit a porsche that was owned by a lawyer! (that was mistake #3)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
what evil lurks in the closet...
so today . . . my fake ugg boots are toast. they are done. they will no longer get to clothe my feet.
they tried to kill me.
i should have seen it coming. i don't think it was their first attempt. they have sort of been testing the waters of my limits for some time now, but today they gave it their last, best shot. damage was done, but sadly for them, i am still alive. and able to have the last word.
it all started a few years ago. i wanted ugg boots. they looked so cozy and warm, and even in california, my feet get cold. i went online to check it out, and decided ugg boots from australia were not going to be in my future. so i did the next best thing--i looked for something similar. i bought a pair of "bear paws." i put them on. they were so comfy and soft. and warm. i immediately loved them, and wore them often.
but as time went by, they got a little too comfortable with my feet. the furry lining squished flatter. the suede stretched. and soon i didn't so much walk in my boots, as schlump around in them. you know what i mean--i would pick up my feet to take a step, but since my foot was loose in the boot, the boot would sort of drag along. it drove me a little crazy, but the warm coziness still called to me, and i continued to wear them...
last winter i noticed that they were pretty loose. in fact, a few times the rubber sole caught on the carpet and tripped me--not enough that i fell, but just enough to make me stumble. i should have realized right then that they were starting to think about doing me in. i should have known it was only a matter of time until they made their move...
summer came, and i put the boots away until cooler weather returned. as the weeks progressed, two new pair of boots (compliments of diandra) joined the old ones. i think that is when they decided it was time. they must have been worried that they might no longer be my "go to" boots. i think they spent the rest of the summer plotting and planning and waiting for the perfect opportunity...
...which came today. this is the fourth or fifth cold, cloudy, "rainy," day we have had. i find myself slowing down a bit more with each non-sunny day. today i didn't even wear my regular school clothes--i threw on skinny jeans, my "bear paws" boots, and a sweater, and slouched off to work... i daydreamed my way through the morning until it was finally time for my break. i made a cup of peppermint tea (i know, that doesn't sound very invigorating--i probably should have had an extra-strength coffee drink!) and headed back to the play area. i walked down the hall, conscious of my boots dragging their heels with every step. i turned the corner and started up the stairs. i made it successfully up the first flight... and then the boots made their move.
on the second flight of steps, the rubberized toe of my boot grabbed onto a step which sent me flying forward. i felt it happening and tried desperately to stay upright. i had my travel cup of tea in my left hand, and my right hand? where was it?? well i can tell you where it was not! it was not holding onto the safety handrail like it should have been!
(every single day i tell my students "hold onto the hand railing! be safe! if you trip, you need to be holding onto the hand railing so you won't fall!" every day i say that. but do i practice what i preach? apparently not. at least not today.)
my body was somehow falling UP the stairs. i thought i was going to be ok. i tried to get my feet under me. i grabbed for the railing or the stairs, or anything that would steady me and keep me from hitting the ground. i thought i had made it. my brain said, "ok, you are going to be ok. you are going to regain your balance and not fall. you will be fine." but my brain spoke before my body was really under control. my brain is sometimes the most optimistic part of my body--although not always the most realistic part. because just about the time i thought i was going to land on my feet, one of my traitorous boots caught the edge of the top step and sent me flying once again. through the air. straight toward the glass doors leading outside...
i knew i was going to hit the glass door. i knew it. there was no way to avoid it. my body was traveling waaay faster than my feet (yes, the feet encased in the evil boots.) i knew i was going to hit that door and do a face plant onto the concrete outside.
and that is probably what would have happened, except for one thing. somehow, i managed to stop trying to use my hands to break my fall, and instead grabbed for the crash bar on the glass door. fortunately the door opened. unfortunately my body still ended up smacking the ground. my face hit the door, sending my glasses skittering across the pavement. my travel cup went flying, spreading streams of peppermint tea everywhere...
i lay there, half in the building, and half outside on the damp pavement, momentarily stunned. i was alone. i needed help, but i didn't know how to get it. there was a guy working outside who had apparently seen me come flying out the door. "are you ok?" he asked.
really?!?! he had to ask???? did i LOOK ok?? i was pretty sure i did not! but i said i was fine, because i was still conscious, and he moved on. i sat up. i didn't quite know what to do. no one had seen me, but i was pretty sure i must be bleeding somewhere! thankfully in the next few minutes help arrived...
the director had heard the crash from her office and came to see what was going on. my elbow was severely scraped up and my knee is going to have an awesome bruise on it. miraculously my face didn't smack into anything abrasive, it seems to have just sort of bounced off the glass door. my jeans and sweater were ok--no rips or tears (yes, i was worried about that--i was wearing my favorite jeans!) but i think my glasses are history...
(i loved those glasses...)
most importantly--i didn't cry.
so the evil boots are no longer a part of my wardrobe. i treated them like family, and they tried to kill me. i am not going to give them another chance. they are dead to me. my feet may never be so warm and cozy again...
...however, i just turned on the tv, and in an amazing coincidence, shopping tv is selling similar boots today. and they are sparkly!!! i think the perfect revenge would be to replace the malicious boots with a brand, new, sequined pair.
if only i didn't have to buy new glasses...
stupid, evil boots.
they tried to kill me.
i should have seen it coming. i don't think it was their first attempt. they have sort of been testing the waters of my limits for some time now, but today they gave it their last, best shot. damage was done, but sadly for them, i am still alive. and able to have the last word.
it all started a few years ago. i wanted ugg boots. they looked so cozy and warm, and even in california, my feet get cold. i went online to check it out, and decided ugg boots from australia were not going to be in my future. so i did the next best thing--i looked for something similar. i bought a pair of "bear paws." i put them on. they were so comfy and soft. and warm. i immediately loved them, and wore them often.
but as time went by, they got a little too comfortable with my feet. the furry lining squished flatter. the suede stretched. and soon i didn't so much walk in my boots, as schlump around in them. you know what i mean--i would pick up my feet to take a step, but since my foot was loose in the boot, the boot would sort of drag along. it drove me a little crazy, but the warm coziness still called to me, and i continued to wear them...
last winter i noticed that they were pretty loose. in fact, a few times the rubber sole caught on the carpet and tripped me--not enough that i fell, but just enough to make me stumble. i should have realized right then that they were starting to think about doing me in. i should have known it was only a matter of time until they made their move...
summer came, and i put the boots away until cooler weather returned. as the weeks progressed, two new pair of boots (compliments of diandra) joined the old ones. i think that is when they decided it was time. they must have been worried that they might no longer be my "go to" boots. i think they spent the rest of the summer plotting and planning and waiting for the perfect opportunity...
...which came today. this is the fourth or fifth cold, cloudy, "rainy," day we have had. i find myself slowing down a bit more with each non-sunny day. today i didn't even wear my regular school clothes--i threw on skinny jeans, my "bear paws" boots, and a sweater, and slouched off to work... i daydreamed my way through the morning until it was finally time for my break. i made a cup of peppermint tea (i know, that doesn't sound very invigorating--i probably should have had an extra-strength coffee drink!) and headed back to the play area. i walked down the hall, conscious of my boots dragging their heels with every step. i turned the corner and started up the stairs. i made it successfully up the first flight... and then the boots made their move.
on the second flight of steps, the rubberized toe of my boot grabbed onto a step which sent me flying forward. i felt it happening and tried desperately to stay upright. i had my travel cup of tea in my left hand, and my right hand? where was it?? well i can tell you where it was not! it was not holding onto the safety handrail like it should have been!
(every single day i tell my students "hold onto the hand railing! be safe! if you trip, you need to be holding onto the hand railing so you won't fall!" every day i say that. but do i practice what i preach? apparently not. at least not today.)
my body was somehow falling UP the stairs. i thought i was going to be ok. i tried to get my feet under me. i grabbed for the railing or the stairs, or anything that would steady me and keep me from hitting the ground. i thought i had made it. my brain said, "ok, you are going to be ok. you are going to regain your balance and not fall. you will be fine." but my brain spoke before my body was really under control. my brain is sometimes the most optimistic part of my body--although not always the most realistic part. because just about the time i thought i was going to land on my feet, one of my traitorous boots caught the edge of the top step and sent me flying once again. through the air. straight toward the glass doors leading outside...
i knew i was going to hit the glass door. i knew it. there was no way to avoid it. my body was traveling waaay faster than my feet (yes, the feet encased in the evil boots.) i knew i was going to hit that door and do a face plant onto the concrete outside.
and that is probably what would have happened, except for one thing. somehow, i managed to stop trying to use my hands to break my fall, and instead grabbed for the crash bar on the glass door. fortunately the door opened. unfortunately my body still ended up smacking the ground. my face hit the door, sending my glasses skittering across the pavement. my travel cup went flying, spreading streams of peppermint tea everywhere...
i lay there, half in the building, and half outside on the damp pavement, momentarily stunned. i was alone. i needed help, but i didn't know how to get it. there was a guy working outside who had apparently seen me come flying out the door. "are you ok?" he asked.
really?!?! he had to ask???? did i LOOK ok?? i was pretty sure i did not! but i said i was fine, because i was still conscious, and he moved on. i sat up. i didn't quite know what to do. no one had seen me, but i was pretty sure i must be bleeding somewhere! thankfully in the next few minutes help arrived...
the director had heard the crash from her office and came to see what was going on. my elbow was severely scraped up and my knee is going to have an awesome bruise on it. miraculously my face didn't smack into anything abrasive, it seems to have just sort of bounced off the glass door. my jeans and sweater were ok--no rips or tears (yes, i was worried about that--i was wearing my favorite jeans!) but i think my glasses are history...
(i loved those glasses...) most importantly--i didn't cry.
so the evil boots are no longer a part of my wardrobe. i treated them like family, and they tried to kill me. i am not going to give them another chance. they are dead to me. my feet may never be so warm and cozy again...
...however, i just turned on the tv, and in an amazing coincidence, shopping tv is selling similar boots today. and they are sparkly!!! i think the perfect revenge would be to replace the malicious boots with a brand, new, sequined pair.
if only i didn't have to buy new glasses...
stupid, evil boots.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
independence day? or thanksgiving...
so today . . . i answered my phone and heard these words--"mom, i had an accident and i'm on the freeway..."
i immediately envsioned mangled metal, broken glass, and ambulances with stretchers.
"are you ok?" i tried very calmly to ask, thinking well at least she is able to dial her phone and speak.
"i think so, but i'm on the freeway and i spun around and i need you to call james and tell him i'll be late."
what?!?!?!?
ok, first of all "i had an accident, and i am on the freeway" are not words any mother wants to hear. ever. but when you live in a metropolitan area as we do, freeways are part of our everyday life. thousands of people drive on them every day, probably too fast, probably too close, and still make it safely to and from their destinations. but sometimes they don't. sometimes somebody cuts you off, forcing you into the lane next to you, where you apparently hit another car which results in your car spinning across four lanes of traffic, and then getting hit by another car before you slam nose first into the center divider. that's what happened to my precious daughter today. and yes, she was calling me from the car, sitting across the freeway, waiting for the police to arrive.
she was not calm. she was not driving her car. she was sitting in a puddle of spilled soda pop, surrounded by dust from the airbags, and unable to hear. she was scared. she started to get out of the car, only to have the driver from the car who hit her angrily come after her. she got back in her car and called me. because they were expecting her at the fireworks stand, and she didn't want everyone to worry when she didn't show up. that's why she called--so i could call james and tell him she might be a little late getting back . . .
thankfully she seems to be ok. and amazingly the car she was driving was not totaled. it should have been. she said, "i could just imagine angels all around the car, with their feet sticking out to take the impact of the car slamming into that divider." it's probably true. i was sitting at home, not driving, so my angels were probably hanging out with her angels today. thank goodness.
i was talking to a friend this morning about a situation with her daughter. and i said to her, "there comes a point where you can't protect her anymore. she has to make her own decisions and live with those consequences. it may be hard for you, but that's part of growing up. don't you trust that God with her?" i'm sure they were hard words to hear--they weren't particularly easy words to say, but they are true and i meant them.
as i was in my car on my way to the fireworks stand to deliver diandra's message, those words came back to me. i'll admit i was worried about my daughter. i was worried if she was going to be ok physically. i was worried if she was going to be ok emotionally. i was worried about the reaction of the car's owner. i was worried about the whole insurance issue. i was worried about how everything was going to get taken care of, when we are on our way out of town in two days. i was worried about how i was going to get everything done i needed to get done now that i was going to be spending the rest of the day at the fireworks stand. i was worried about if she would get a citation (she didn't.) and then i heard these words--"ok, so all that stuff you said this morning doesn't apply to you? you don't trust that God is in control here? you don't think He is looking out for diandra?"
shoot! i hate it when that happens . . .
because i do believe God is in control. i know that he can protect diandra when i cannot. so without any real information about the accident or how diandra was, i had to just let go and realize again that i can't always be with her. i can't always protect her. we live in a world where stuff happens, and it isn't always good. but it is ok, because God is watching out for us. He didn't protect diandra from the accident, but He did protect her. she walked away instead of having to be carried out on a stretcher.
i'm thankful every day for my daughter. i'm thankful there will be many more days ahead for us. i'm thankful for kind police officers who helped her at the accident site, and i am thankful for caring friends who stayed at the fireworks stand way past when they had planned. i'm thankful she was not driving her jeep. i'm thankful she has good insurance. and i'm thankful that we don't have to deal with emergencies alone, because God is always there.
this year july 4th is also thanksgiving :)
i immediately envsioned mangled metal, broken glass, and ambulances with stretchers.
"are you ok?" i tried very calmly to ask, thinking well at least she is able to dial her phone and speak.
"i think so, but i'm on the freeway and i spun around and i need you to call james and tell him i'll be late."
what?!?!?!?
ok, first of all "i had an accident, and i am on the freeway" are not words any mother wants to hear. ever. but when you live in a metropolitan area as we do, freeways are part of our everyday life. thousands of people drive on them every day, probably too fast, probably too close, and still make it safely to and from their destinations. but sometimes they don't. sometimes somebody cuts you off, forcing you into the lane next to you, where you apparently hit another car which results in your car spinning across four lanes of traffic, and then getting hit by another car before you slam nose first into the center divider. that's what happened to my precious daughter today. and yes, she was calling me from the car, sitting across the freeway, waiting for the police to arrive.
she was not calm. she was not driving her car. she was sitting in a puddle of spilled soda pop, surrounded by dust from the airbags, and unable to hear. she was scared. she started to get out of the car, only to have the driver from the car who hit her angrily come after her. she got back in her car and called me. because they were expecting her at the fireworks stand, and she didn't want everyone to worry when she didn't show up. that's why she called--so i could call james and tell him she might be a little late getting back . . .
thankfully she seems to be ok. and amazingly the car she was driving was not totaled. it should have been. she said, "i could just imagine angels all around the car, with their feet sticking out to take the impact of the car slamming into that divider." it's probably true. i was sitting at home, not driving, so my angels were probably hanging out with her angels today. thank goodness.
i was talking to a friend this morning about a situation with her daughter. and i said to her, "there comes a point where you can't protect her anymore. she has to make her own decisions and live with those consequences. it may be hard for you, but that's part of growing up. don't you trust that God with her?" i'm sure they were hard words to hear--they weren't particularly easy words to say, but they are true and i meant them.
as i was in my car on my way to the fireworks stand to deliver diandra's message, those words came back to me. i'll admit i was worried about my daughter. i was worried if she was going to be ok physically. i was worried if she was going to be ok emotionally. i was worried about the reaction of the car's owner. i was worried about the whole insurance issue. i was worried about how everything was going to get taken care of, when we are on our way out of town in two days. i was worried about how i was going to get everything done i needed to get done now that i was going to be spending the rest of the day at the fireworks stand. i was worried about if she would get a citation (she didn't.) and then i heard these words--"ok, so all that stuff you said this morning doesn't apply to you? you don't trust that God is in control here? you don't think He is looking out for diandra?"
shoot! i hate it when that happens . . .
because i do believe God is in control. i know that he can protect diandra when i cannot. so without any real information about the accident or how diandra was, i had to just let go and realize again that i can't always be with her. i can't always protect her. we live in a world where stuff happens, and it isn't always good. but it is ok, because God is watching out for us. He didn't protect diandra from the accident, but He did protect her. she walked away instead of having to be carried out on a stretcher.
i'm thankful every day for my daughter. i'm thankful there will be many more days ahead for us. i'm thankful for kind police officers who helped her at the accident site, and i am thankful for caring friends who stayed at the fireworks stand way past when they had planned. i'm thankful she was not driving her jeep. i'm thankful she has good insurance. and i'm thankful that we don't have to deal with emergencies alone, because God is always there.
this year july 4th is also thanksgiving :)
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