The Different Day Today Could Have Been

There is one thing every parent of every teenage driver never wants to receive ... a phone call telling them their child has been in an accident. Actually, it doesn't matter how young or how old your kid is, as a parent you never want to get that call. I do think, however, that parental worries rise to an entirely different level when a teenager receives his or her driver's license and slides in behind the wheel of a car with no adult supervision. At least that was true for me when each of my three kiddos began driving on their own. I would lay awake at night listening for the sound of the garage door opening, unable to sleep until I knew they were home safely.

Thank God, I didn't get too many of those "Ms. Johnson, Matt (or Brad or Meghann) has been in an accident," phone calls when my kids were teenagers. And double triple quadruple thank God, only one of those calls contained the words, "She is being transported by ambulance to the hospital, and you should meet her there." I'll never ever forget that call ... "It's a blizzard out here, ma'am ... your daughter lost control of her car due to the hazardous road conditions ... her car struck the blade of a parked snowplow ... we are working to get her out of the car now") ... oh yeah, you can bet the last penny you have I'll never ever forget that call. It's not the details of the accident that the officer gave me that night that are burned into my brain, however ... it's the feeling of complete and utter terror that instantly swept through me that will remain with me forever ... the heart-stopping terror that only a parent whose child is in danger can understand.

Friday evening, my son Brad was driving through an intersection when another driver sped through a red light and slammed into the driver's side of Brad's Jeep. The guy didn't have his headlights on and he hit Brad's car so hard ... never mind ... I don't even want to think about how hard the guy must have hit Brad to cause both the driver and passenger airbags in Brad's Jeep to deploy and to shatter every window in his own car. What I do want to think about is that other than some scrapes and bruises, an achy knee and hamstring, and a good pop on the head from the airbag, Brad is okay ... shaken up from such a traumatic experience, but otherwise okay. Let me say that again ... Brad is okay ... Brad is okay ... Brad is okay ... those are the sweetest words to me today, friends ... Brad is okay.

I couldn't help but think about my children today ... about how very much I love them and how devastated I would be if something happened to one of them. My mind drifted back through experiences we've shared together down through the years, both good and not so good alike. I thought about the laughter and the tears and the love and the sorrow and the life that we've done together. I thought a lot about Brad today ... I thought about him insisting that we turn off all the lights and read Edgar Allen Poe by candlelight on Halloween ... I thought about his permed hair phase ... I thought about how he used to put pacies on each corner of his blanket ... I thought about him taking Mom to get her toenails cut ... I thought about his birth ... I thought about the way he held his hands when he slept ... I thought about his passion for making movies ... I thought about how much he loves Shelby ... I thought about him showing up with Max the dog ... I thought about the ever-present ball cap on his head ... I thought about the school plays he was in ... I thought about the words he spoke to our sweet Ann as she lay in a coma in ICU ... I thought about the Brad rants ... I thought about how empty my life would be without him.

I took Ollie for a walk late this evening, and on our way back home, I decided to stop at the creek for a bit. I stood watching the water tumble over the rocks and it wasn't long until the tears were tumbling from my eyes. Tears of gratitude that Brad is okay ... tears of thankfulness that my children and grandchildren are happy and healthy and alive ... tears of realization that today would have been a very different day had Brad been seriously injured or worse in the accident on Friday. Today would have been a day for a entirely different kind of tears, friends ... I shudder to think of the tears that would have come ... I shudder to think of the pain that would have come ... I shudder to think of the different day today could have been.

There's only one way to close tonight's post and that's by sharing the words Brad posted to his Facebook page following the accident ... and by the way, Braddie bear, I agree with every word you wrote. I'm so happy you're okay, Brad ... I love you forever and always, buddy.

"When you have a profoundly traumatic moment that rattles your brain, they are often followed by a peaceful sense of clarity. I love all of you guys, and you should take a moment right now to tell your friends and family you love them. Tomorrow is never guaranteed, and you're never prepared for the unthinkable."