On Car Wrecks and Safety

“Mommy, I had a wreck. Can you come get me?” Oldest is frantic and out of breath.

Despite being almost asleep and hazy from recent surgery, I am suddenly awake and clear-headed. “Yes, of course, baby. Where are you? Are you ok? Are the other people ok? Have you called the police? What is your blood sugar?” I rattle off the questions too quickly for my rattled daughter to answer.

I pull on shoes and a jacket over my pajamas, grab my husband, and we run out the door.

Oldest is 17 and has a learner’s permit, but she is not supposed to drive alone. Tonight, she needed to attend a school play for “culture credit.” I am not cleared to drive after my surgery and Husband is working, so I decided to let her drive alone to school. It is just one mile after all.

On the way home, she misjudged a left turn and CRASH!! Totaled the van. It was our “good car,” meaning that it ran and we could all fit in it.

When we arrived on the scene Oldest was in the back of an ambulance. Her blood sugar was fine and she only had some bruises from the seatbelt and burns from the airbag. She held her emotions together in front of the first responders, but she lost her composure as soon as we were alone.

“Aren’t you mad? I thought you would yell at me.”

“Baby, It is just a car. You are so much more important than any car, or anything. Daddy and I will always come for you - no questions asked. If you make a mistake, if you have an accident, if you are drunk, if you are high, if you are frightened . . . none of that is important as long as you are safe. We will always come for you.”