Flashing Life, Abridged

So, about a week ago, something pretty traumatic happened. Ed and I got into a really bad car accident. One of those ones that if you saw it, your stomach would turn. We were turning left (unprotected) and somehow a big pickup truck sped around the corner and right into us. It drove straight into the passenger side of the car where I was sitting and it is miraculous that Ed and  I ended up more or less okay. I actually wrote out a play by play of exactly what happened, but decided that I don't really need to share that. Suffice to say, it was bad enough that I had to be strapped to one of those boards with a collar around my neck and taken in an ambulance to the hospital, because the damage to our car implied that I might have been severely injured. Thankfully I only needed 7 stitches total and besides still being super sore on my side, I am fine. Ed got a few cuts but didn't even need to be checked into the hospital.

Experiences like this, though, really reinforce what is important in life. Yes, our wonderful Prius, who took us on so many trips, is gone, but it did a great job when it really counted. Yes, our weekend plans of camping with family didn't pan out, but we were so thankful to have brother and sister in law Tom and Irma there in town to help deal with everything. Yes, it was terrifying, but the amazing support of strangers who stopped and sat with me while I was hyperventilating on a curb right after the accident, the emergency personal who took excellent care of me, all gave me so much faith in humanity. Everyone was just so nice. And, more than anything, Ed and I are so thankful that we are both okay. In that instant, so much could have gone horribly wrong, but it didn't. We're okay. And thankful. Very thankful.

To make good things from bad, we replaced our faithful Prius with a new family car that we're very excited about:

The Prius V! Everything we loved about our former car, with a beautiful new color, a lot more room, and some special enhancements (thanks to them not having the lower model in stock). It's been very fun to have our first official car that we bought together, and has been a ton of fun to drive. 

So, we're moving forward with life. A little more cautiously, perhaps, but moving forward nonetheless.