18th
Life and death
Reflecting on my place in life and death situations.
I’m often, chillingly, the first one at the scene of an accident, and this past weekend was no exception. We were driving to go skiing, going north on the 400, and a truck in front of us starts swirlling, over, and over and over. Coming close to us, my heart started going into my throat. We swirved over to the side of the road, and the truck proceeded to roll, roll and roll, landing in the ditch, right next to the tree.
I sat aghast, we were ok, there I was again, watching an accident, first one at the scene. I was yelling, shocked and scared to the bone of what we were going to find. My first thoughts were a mangled body or death.
As we ran closer to the van, I started to call 911 and my friends went right to the van door. As I was talking to the operator, a woman walks out, a slight scape on her ahead. I am dumbfounded that she is ok.
My work calls me to be at life and death situations, people attempting suicide, contemplating their existence, and not seeing the point. Leaving this earth seems the only way out.
I sit with a heavy heart with that.
I think about these kids that we’re raising money for. Kids struck by an illness they have no control over, robbing them of their childhood, and their family of the dreams they had in store. I think about the kids who are waiting for the money we are raising. My throat swells.
I think about my healthy body. The ability, time and resources to do this ride.
Life and death. What wakes us up to living?
