Life Comes At You Fast

It's amazing how fast your life can change in a matter of seconds. You can get a job promotion, win the lottery or become engaged and instantly, your life is different. You can also be killed by a drunk driver.

Last night, my sister was lucky enough to merely escape what could have been a life-threatening, if not fatal, accident. Her and her boyfriend were leaving a Massachusetts bar around 1 a.m. after hanging out with a bunch of friends. Her sober driving boyfriend pulled out onto the neighborhood road and out of nowhere, they were hit by a car going about 70 mph. The woman driving the other car got out and started to run in the other direction because she knew she was drunk. Luckily, the police were able to catch up to her to make the arrest. Though visibly shaken up, my sister and boyfriend were able to walk away from the crash with only minor bumps and bruises. The woman hit them on the front passenger's side so hard that the license plate was knocked off and landed 30 feet away. If the accident had occurred one second later, who knows what kinds of injuries my sister would have been faced with. Fortunately that is something my family will not have to deal with.

Drunk driving is and will always be something I am cautious of. Not only with myself, but with other drivers on the road. When I go out for a few drinks I know when to stop so that I am still able to get myself and my passengers home safely. However, sometimes when I do the right thing, there are others on the road who make the drive home more dangerous. It's the woman who decides to have one more glass of wine at dinner and crosses the yellow line, or the man who ordered one more shot of Jack and passes out at the wheel only to slam into the side of your car at an intersection.

My sister's accident, while to some may seem minor, still reminds me that I am thankful for the outcome. Today, I kept thinking of what could have been and how in a matter of seconds, my world could have been turned upside down. I had just talked to her about 3 hours prior and everything was great. I couldn't help but go through of all the things I don't say to her enough--how much I miss her being in the room next to mine, how much I love and appreciate our relationship, how she is my inspiration and role model for everything I do. Thankfully I will have many more opportunities to tell her these things, but it is important to remember that being blessed for "close calls" is much better than being sorry for the "what ifs".