Tuesday, December 22, 2009

How long is a second?

It's amazing how a split second can change your life.

I've been rushing around, juggling work, children, shopping and all that.
Yesterday evening, on the way to a Band Carol Service with Son, my phone rang. Son answered it, as I was driving, and I knew from him that it wasn't good news. All is well now, but my niece had an accident. First I screamed "NO!", thinking the worst, and thinking of a car accident.

It turned out to be an accident at work, where she fell and a spike thing went into her eye. My sister lives 3 hours from here, so I went to casualty to make sure she got the proper care, in loco parentis if you like. Thankfully, there's no lasting damage, but her eye looks dreadful and will be sore for about 2 weeks.

It just made me think of people who get a phone call to say that a loved one has had a serious accident. It must be a dreadful experience, especially if that person is young. I hope it never happens to me.
And it made think how a split second can change your life forever.
I know we say it quite often, but to almost feel it is scary.

And, more than anything, it made me get the whole Christmas thing in perspective- it doesn't matter if a few cards are left unsent, or jobs undone. Most of those things will not even be remembered in a couple of months.

What matters, and the only thing that matters, especially at Christmas, is the here and now, and the people you love.

5 comments:

  1. You said it perfectly!!

    Merry Christmas to you and your sweet family..... Hope you can relax and enjoy the holiday season:)

    Lisa

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  2. You are very right. The commercial stuff when it boils down to it is pretty much meaning less when a person that you love is taken from you.
    I recently had a phone call similar to this. My grandpa had a heart attack and was not supposed to make the trip in the ambulance to the hospital.
    He survived and all is well now. But that kind of call really changes your persepective on the people around you.
    I hope that you can relax and enjoy Christmas.
    Thanks for stopping by to see me!

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  3. Very true! I have thought, like you, that it takes only an instant in time to change everything. And, how fortunate,and grateful, I am not to have experienced that life-altering instant.
    I'm so glad that your niece is OK...eyes are such scary accident sites!

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  4. Thank goodness the accident wasn't any worse, Mimi. Know what you mean about getting things in perspective. Merry Christmas to you.

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  5. How frightening. Thank goodness she's alright, and yes, this definitely does put things into perspective.

    Merry Christmas to all of you and a speedy recovery to your niece.

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