Yesterday morning we had an appointment for Ethan to have an eye test. I loaded Ethan and Declan into the car just after 11am and headed for the optometrist which is at our local shops, maybe 3 - 4 minutes from our house. We had not traveled more than two streets from our house, a minute from home when we pulled up at a 'give way intersection' and were waiting to turn right.
You know people say when you witness an accident or similar everything seems to go into slow motion - well thats what the next 30 seconds were like for me. I was watching the traffic coming from the opposite side of us and saw a car (#1) who was just not slowing down coming up to the give way signs. I wont tell you the exact words that were running through my head in that moment but I was thinking along the lines of 'my god shes not gunna stop'. I then glanced at the traffic coming from the right and saw another car (#2) was almost at the middle of the intersection and headed straight into the path of the oncoming car. Within seconds car # 1 ran straight through the give way sign and car # 2 plowed straight into the side of her. Car # 2's bonnet was instantly smashed in as car # 1 flew into the air, flipped and landed on its roof on the island next to our car, where us and the car in front were waiting to turn.
Horrified that my babies had just witnessed this as well I yelled at them to cover their eyes and not to look as I jumped out shocked and terrified and called for an ambulance, convinced I had just witnessed someone's life being taken. No way can someone survive that surely!
Once i got off the phone to 000, I had some harsh words to say to a few young boys who pulled up in a car moments after, laughed and started taking pictures of the accident with not so much as a 'is everyone ok?' My god how can anyone find what i just witnessed funny? Who's first thought is to pull out their mobile phone and start taking pictures ? There could be someone killed in that car!
Scared and nervous about the condition of the drivers I rushed over and by what I can only describe as a miracle, the woman was pulled from the car alive and not seriously hurt. The poor gentleman who hit her was also uninjured, but very shaken. I was so thankful for the others who stopped and came to assist as i'm not sure what i would have done had it been a quieter area/ no one else to help. Everyday hero's each and every person who was there to help those people yesterday. After giving statements to the fire department, police and security we turned around and headed back home.
The scene has played over and over in my mind since it happened. I've never seen anything like that before and it shook me, frightened me and made me angry. Frightened at how quickly a life could be ended, how it really can happen moments from home and how it could have been me and my babies in that accident, had we left home one minute earlier. I am angry that my kids had to witness that and angry that lives can and are lost so quickly because of one small, split second poor decision or action.
So whilst its sad i guess that it took seeing something like this to slap me in the face and say 'hey your life could be taken at any moment, slow down and enjoy it', it really made me realise.
I'm always busy and on the go and i have always been a restless person so dont really do relaxing or chilling out, it always seems to bother me and i find it a waste of time where I could be doing something useful. But yesterday I thought its time to slow down and put things into perspective and give a bit more focus to the things in life that truly matter.
So today we headed off to the beach after Ethan's soccer and met up with my Dad, Step mum Terry, sister Mel, BIL Dean and my nephews Mayson and Kayden. Now let me tell you, i'm so not a beach girl. I dont really enjoy it at all, i hate sand and dont even get me started on the whole bathers situation ha-ha :)
But today, I loved every moment of it and there is no place on earth i would have rather been. I played in the icy water with my boys as they splashed and squealed in delight as the waves came crashing over their chubby legs. I built sand castles without worrying about sand going in every place possible. We ate fish & chips and over sized ice creams. I didn't care what i looked like, i didn't think about the housework, money, work, what time it was or anything that would normally still be in the back of my mind. My focus was on my family and enjoying those precious, every day moments that we really are so lucky to have.
Im now going to put my babies to bed, read their stories with extra enthusiasm and plaster their beautiful faces with a million kisses then curl up on the couch with hubby and be thankful for a wonderful day, wonderful family and wonderful life!
My nephews Mayson & Kayden.
(To all of us out there on the roads, please always be careful, drive safe, dont speed and give way!)
Kate xxx
A very beautifully written post Kate. Life can be taken in an instant. I'm glad that you enjoyed a precious day with your family. They are what we mothers treasure forever XX
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that everyone was okay. Your children have been shown how precious they are to you and their family - I am sure they will be okay. We all need to remember to try to enjoy (even a bit of) each and every day.
ReplyDeleteThank you ladies for your kind words xx
ReplyDelete