It only takes a moment for things to change.
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My wife and I once owned a small retail store, following our blueprint for life we each worked three days a week and spent days off caring for our two children.
I was stocking shelves at the store one morning in preparation for the rush of shoppers when one of my staff called on the intercom.
“Phone, line two.”
I picked up the phone and immediately recognized a neighbor woman’s alarmed voice.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Get home, Erik’s been hit by a car.”
“What?” I shouted back, certain I couldn’t have heard her correctly.
She repeated, “Get home quick, the ambulance just arrived.”
I slammed down the phone, grabbed my keys and ran for my car. I couldn’t believe this had happened to my 5 year-old-son. Charged with adrenaline I jumped in the car and sped off tires screeching on the pavement.
My mind raced ahead of the car imagining. I had seen teenagers drive recklessly down our street and had confronted them in the past. Maybe a drunk driver is to fault? Maybe, maybe, my mind created endless scenarios as I sped home. If only I’d asked questions when the neighbor called. How was this possible?
I was frantic by the time I pulled in front of my house. An ambulance was parked in the middle of the street and a Cop slammed the rear doors shut as I ran up to the cluster of neighbors gathered on the curb.
“Here’s the Father.” One of them told the Cop. He blocked my arm as I reached for the doors and looked me straight in the eye saying, “He’s OK, they’re taking him to the hospital to check him over, but he looks fine.” The ambulance pulled away and the Cop asked, “You’re the Father?” I nodded in complete shock. He quickly explained,
“Your son ran out from between two parked cars and a passing motorist struck him. He was thrown 30 feet but other than a few scrapes he looks ok. It’s a miracle he wasn’t killed. Your wife is with him. You can follow to the hospital. Are you alright to drive?”
“Yeah.” I answered, turning to run back to my car. “Wait!” he reached out and grabbed my arm. “Stop for a minute, I’ll drive you.” He saw how confused I was, all I could think was to get to the hospital nothing else mattered.
He held my arm tightly, and said. “Really, you shouldn’t drive, take a breath, he’ll be OK.” I let the Cops words sink in. I must have been holding my breath the entire drive home and suddenly breathing seemed a wise choice. The neighbors gathered on the curb looked horrified clutching their own children and uncertain what if anything to do. The Cop kept talking to me. “It was an accident.” he said, “Your son was lucky, sometimes it doesn’t turn out this way but he’ll be fine. The Doctors will check him over and you’ll have him home this afternoon.”
I knew he was trying to determine if I was safe to drive but I was impatient and he kept talking,
“Accidents happen all the time. Kids run out in the street and the driver can’t stop, it was an accident.”
I’m sure the cop didn’t intend to but when he said the word, “Driver” he pointed to a dark red sedan parked on the opposite side of the street. I could see the back of a man’s head through the rear window and the driver’s door was open a few inches. I reacted. All my worst imaginings mixed instantly with rage, all aimed at the man who had hurt my son.
I pushed away from the Cop. He tripped over the curb and fell backward among the gathered onlookers. I stormed across the street towards the red sedan out of my mind angry and planning to rip apart the man who had hurt my son.
I reached for the door, swung it open and faced the target of my rage. The instant our eyes met I felt something crack. My anger vanished instantly. The driver had tears in his eyes and was slumped behind the wheel weeping. I suddenly found myself looking into the eyes of a kindly older man who had injured a child with his car.
We stared at one another incapable of speech until the driver mumbled,
“I’m sorry, so terribly sorry.”
I imagined a glass bell jar. Large enough to cover my entire body and filled to the top with rage suddenly shatter when the driver and I locked eyes. I couldn’t break eye contact. Mysteriously, the driver and I had merged, stunned to silence by the suffering of the other.
The Cop broke the spell gently placing his hand on my back and asking, “You ok?”
We both looked up and nodded yes, changed forever but ok.
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Photo courtesy of Snake Bloomstrand, author
Just remember, it was an accident. Sometimes accidents can not be avoided. Children are so quick. Thank the Lord your child was not badly hurt..I am sure a lesson learned for him also. How many times as a parent, haven’t we said ,’Look for cars”–or ‘don’t run out into the street.” They are children, our precious children.