Last Saturday I left my son with my wonderful sister for the day while I drove about 2.5 hours south to Naples for my best friend’s wedding, which I was to stand in as the matron of honor. Hubby was in class so he couldn’t make it. Nearly there, with just 15 minutes to go, a car accelerated in the lane I was changing to- one minute it was in my blind spot, the next in the corner of my eye while I was mid-lane. I over corrected, at 70 miles an hour on the interstate, only to find myself zig zagging back and forth for what seemed like forever, screeching down the highway. Eventually the wheel picked a position as far right as it could go, and in a minute my car spun a 180 until I was facing oncoming cars. Before they hit me, the car propelled off the road and down the ditch, into the thicket of brush. When the car stopped, I was shaking like crazy, feeling my head and legs in amazement that I was ok. And not one other car was involved in this accident. In the end, a good sumaritan pulled me out with his truck. That’s when I could get out and see my front tire busted and what appeared to be a busted rear axle as well. The fire company came out, road ranger, highway patrol, and ambulence, as from the road it had seemed like a terrible accident. And yet there I was, not a scratch or bump. I kept thinking how glad I was that my son had not been in the car, dumbfounded as I brought whatever memories I had of those 60 seconds into recollection.

I know that it is said often, but it is true: Life can be gone in an instant. One minute I was on my way to a wedding, the next I couldv’e been roadkill, just a shell of a person. And like all close-calls, I felt very blessed to have my faith, my family and friends.

Then Bean’s wedding was approaching, so once I got the tow company to get my car and finished talking to my insurance, she had a friend come to get me and bring me to the church. From there I put the whole thing out of my mind. I got dressed as quickly as I could while the make-up girl threw some stuff on me, and then I stood at the beautiful wedding of my dear friend Bean and her new husband Kubby. It was a spiritual wedding, and though it was touch and go throughout, I really lost it during the taking of the Lord’s Supper, when the Our Father was sung live just three feet behind me. Life, again, staring me in the face. The harsh, quick, unreasonable moments, contrasted back to back with a solemn, peaceful ceremony celebrating the covenant of true love.

Don’t worry, I won’t stay all emotional on ya: From there the reception served open bar (after that morning, I took full advantage of that!) Then I danced with all the other solo ladies to the reception classics; Shout; Hot, Hot, Hot congo line; Electric Slide, and so on. It was a blast, and I think something in me just wanted to drink in that moment to its fullest because of all that had happened. Typically, I am pretty reserved, especially in front of strangers. (My closest friends and I do share some black mail on each other in the form of slumber party dance videos, but that’s the limit!) Later than evening, my husband’s mother (who lives in the same city) drove me home, a huge blessing cause I was not staying the night away from my family after all that!

After having the baby, I had this sense that life is too short to worry about what people think; the accident was another notch in the same belt.

It’s a strange woman I am shaping up to be: on the fence, spontaneous, …living? I didn’t purpose to veer this direction, but I truly believe motherhood will bring out a few nuggets of your true self. Even without parenting, a relationship with Jesus will surely peel away the layers!

Bean and Kubby kissing during their “first dance”: