Appreciate The Present

This week I got one of those calls that no parent would want to receive – a call telling you that your baby got into a car accident.

Hadley (19 months old) and my mom was involved in a car accident from someone who ran a red light. Accidents you only hear on the news and never thought it could happen to you, or in my case, my family. Our Prius got hit badly (t-boned as the police would call it) by a SUV truck on the passenger side. The scary part was that Hadley was sitting right behind the passenger seat, so if our car was going just one second faster, the other car would’ve ran straight right into her. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. Hadley was safe, tightly fasten in her car seat, and my mom was also safe – with bruised injuries on her legs and chest pain.

This happened only a few blocks from my house, so when I got the call I was able to rush to the scene quickly with Hayden with me. As I was trying to keep myself calm in front of Hayden, it was such a heartache to see what Hadley and my mom had just gone through (I did indeed posted a photo on my Instagram). I held Hadley tightly trying to calm her down and worrying that she may have internal injuries, while the firemen and paramedics helped my mom and kept Hayden company. I can only imagine how scary and traumatic that impact must have felt to an adult, let alone to a young toddler. Hadley was so shaken and scarred at the scene that she couldn’t stop crying for an hour and on the way to the hospital. She also kept pointing at her “po po” (grandma in Chinese) knowing that her grandma was hurt. Even though Hadley couldn’t speak, she knew something was wrong.

The thought of the accident made me felt terribly uneasy, yet also felt terribly lucky to know that Hadley and my mom had avoided what would’ve been a horrible tragedy. Even though there was no major injuries, it was just plain scary! I just couldn’t stop dwelling on the “could’ve” “should’ve” “what if” kind of things.

I thought I was able to carry on my day like normal yesterday, but in fact, it was emotionally draining. I can’t even bear the feeling of imagining that I could’ve lost Hadley or my mom forever; it makes me cry. How do you stop playing those scenarios in your head? How do you shake off that feeling? I suppose the best thing anyone can do is to appreciate the present and the presence of those around you.

I love Hadley and my mom dearly and am so thankful that what I’m telling you here is actually good news. It was really one of those nightmare moments that, as a mom and a daughter, never wanted to experience. Many thanks for all your comments and messages! It meant a lot to me and my family.

I hardly ever share things like this here, and this post is not meant to scare you. I do, however, want to share a reminder that be extra careful on the road, always! And most importantly, protect your young ones with the best car seat you can find. Car safety is no joke, even if you’re just going down a few blocks.

On a lighter note, enjoy a fun-filled and safe long weekend with your friends and family! I’m excited to enjoy mine and will hug my babies extra tight this weekend! I hope this will shake off the feeling.

xo Jeanne

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