It was a cold morning. It was very early in the morning. The sky was clear. The air was clear. The traffic was light. It was a peaceful time of the day. It was a good morning for walking.
I was dressed for it. I had on my sweatshirt and windbreaker over a couple of layers of other clothing. I was wearing my gloves. I had my winter hat on. I didn’t mind the cold of the morning.
As usual I had my flashlight with me. At that hour pedestrians have to be extra careful. Drivers don’t have the greatest of visibility in the early hours of the morning. As usual I was facing the traffic and was on the sidewalk. I was keeping my eyes on cars coming towards me. Walkers and runners have to be cautious. You have to be prepared for the unexpected. As usual I tried to be very aware of my surroundings.
But I didn’t see it coming. I did not know what had happened until the car slid to a halt about ten to fifteen feet in front of me, coming to a stop on the sidewalk I was about to cross. The accident caught me completely by surprise.
The driver had been surprised too. He hadn’t seen the black ice and evidently was traveling too close to the vehicle in front of him. Maybe he had been driving too fast for the conditions as well. He lightly hit the car in front of him as it approached the intersection where a stop sign was posted. He careened off that car on impact and slid across the pavement to my side of the road and on to the sidewalk.
I stopped to see if the driver was okay. He was. His vehicle suffered some minor damage and the other driver didn’t even bother to stop after being hit. He kept on going.
This accident happened behind me on the other side of the road on which the cars were heading in the same direction as I was. I wasn’t looking at those cars. I was more concerned about the vehicles that were approaching me, on my side of the road. I didn’t think I had to be too concerned about those on the other side. Now I think differently.
What if I had been a few more feet further down the road? At that very spot where the car had ended up on the sidewalk? Would I be writing these words today? Would I be here able to report and reflect on what happened that early morning?
Each day is a gift. Each day is a blessing. We have today; we don’t know about tomorrow. Maybe that’s another reason why Jesus said don’t worry about the troubles tomorrow might bring. (Italics mine.) Today’s are enough.
I’m being extra vigilant on my morning walks now. And I am trying to be more appreciative of each day I have. It is a treasure. It is a valued gift. For who knows about tomorrow…
|