Witnessed an Accident

Today we were on our way back from the farmers market, happily driving along on the highway. When suddenly a car in front of us starts swaying and first bounces into the guard rail to the left, then the one on the right side of the road, and comes to a stop, smoking. This didn't look good. I stopped and got out, as did the person from the car in front of us. I feared what I would see, but to my utter relief and amazement, she was basically ok. Yes, she did have a bloody nose, and a cut close to her eye, but seeing the accident, it was a miracle that she wasn't more seriously hurt. Not to mention that this was on a bridge, so I have been thinking what if the guard rail hadn't been able to hold her car.

What did worry me was the way she kept talking about her husband. 'My husband is going to kill me! My husband is going to kill me! My husband is going to kill me! I am not going to call him!' She just kept going on and on. We kept trying to reassure her 'You are ok, the car is replaceable, you are not replaceable', but it didn't reassure her at all. I was so tempted to tell her that he was a jerk and to forget about him, but thought that that wasn't the best thing to say right then. Neither did I think a wisecrack joke about especially not calling him on her cell phone while driving. We just kept trying to reassure her, while she was freaking out.

It turned out that she was talking on her cell phone, and dropped it, so she had to bend over to retrieve it. She said she took her eyes off the road for only a moment. Well, one moment too much. I have never been fond of people talking on their cell phones while driving, and now I feel even more strongly about that. At least it generated a good discussion with my kids about this whole issue. This accident made a big impression on them. I hope it will plant in their minds the importance of not talking on the phone while driving. They were coming up with all kinds of solutions about what you could do when some one called you while you are on the road. Including making sure you had an older kid like Cees with you, who could answer the phone :-) Yes, would be nice if we all could travel with a personal secretary like that.

After this, I spent a fortune to get every one new shoes, and we had something to eat and drink before heading home.

Isabella is doing a tiny bit better, her numbers are improving. She is still on a ventilator, and she is on daily dialysis, but at least things seem to be heading the right way. She was clogging up her line during the last dialysis, which is bad because she needs a new line now, but good because that means her platelets are getting back to normal. She still needs tons of prayers though. Please keep sending positive energy her way.