In the blink of an eye...

I am sick to my stomach and cannot get this off of my mind. So please bear with me if this is a rambling, run-on post.

While driving to dinner tonight, a woman driving a Porsche just a bit ahead of us, hit a young boy on his bicycle. We came up just behind the accident and pulled into the Wendy's parking lot. There were 2 young boys riding their bikes across the street in the cross walk when the one boy was struck by the car. Its unknown if the light was red or not. However, in the state of NJ, it is a law that you must stop at a crosswalk if someone enters. Of course, the boy may have crossed without looking, which would not be surprising for a child his age. The driver was so shaken, she was pacing, holding her head, asking 'Is he ok?' and 'This is all my fault' and 'Oh my God. Oh my God.' over and over again.

Tim ran over to see if the boy was ok, he intended to offer CPR if necessary. A woman driving by was an EMT and was already kneeling with the boy. So Tim stayed with them until the police and ambulance arrived just moments later. The boy appeared to be about 10 years old (possibly younger) and was aware, but slightly incoherent and in shock. He continuously repeated, 'I want my mommy.' Which may suggest he was younger. Another bystander asked him his phone number and he was able to give it. So the man called his mother, who was obviously extremely upset and rushed over. The back of his head was cracked open and was bleeding profusely. His tiny frail body lay in the road about 10 feet from the crosswalk, which means that he was struck with enough force for him to fly that far before crashing to the ground.

Within minutes, there was a news crew there. I thought that was disrespectful. News is a wonderful thing, but sometimes they go a bit overboard. Afterall, who knows if the little boy will even make it. Will his parents and family want to watch and relive this incident on their local news? Luckily the ambulance drove away shortly after the news crew arrived. We are praying for the boy and his family tonight... praying that he is ok and that he will survive through his injuries and go on to live a long and wonderful life.

We then went into Wendy's to eat, but my stomach was so upset, I just sat there picking at my food. And staring at my girls. The girls were really sad for the little boy and they asked a lot of questions. Which showed their innocence in the questions they were asking.

All of this has my mind full of thoughts and what ifs:

What if I were the woman driving the car? How easily that can happen. Driving along, thinking of something else, talking to the girls, changing the station on the radio. Suddenly, out of nowhere, BAM... could be the end of life as you know it.

What if I were that little boy? Out with my buddy for an afternoon of fun. Possibly heading to Shop Rite for candy. What had he done earlier that day. Maybe he was swimming in this heat? Maybe he was going to see a movie later tonight.

What if I were his friend? Watching this happen, thinking 'It could have been me.'

But most of all, What if I were that little boy's mother? That is the one that gets me more than any of the above. What if something like that happened to one of my girls? What would I do? So quickly everything can change. Life is so fragile. In the midst of meals, chores, arguing and the craziness of life, its so easy to forget that. This incident has made me stop and think. To appreciate all that I have. I will be giving an extra hug to each of my girls tonight as I put them to bed.