The Rides of My Life

Wow, I just cannot believe that 2009 is almost over, and also, the end of a decade. "Decade" seems to be a word that I'm hearing all over the media around Memphis, from the newspaper to my tv screen. This morning, I heard one newscaster mention that you could log on to their website, and share your favorite memory from the last ten years. Well, it didn't take me long to think of my favorite memory/memories. 1/1/2001 was the day I met my husband, and 5/18/02 was when we were married.....absolutely, two of the happiest days of my life. We got our first doggie in 2007, and moved into our first house in 2008....two more great memories.



While I had great memories at the beginning of this last decade, the end of it has a memory that I would like to forget very soon. Christmas Eve was supposed to be a wonderful day in my family, and it almost came off without a single hitch. My aunt (who feels like more of a sister to me and one of my closest friends) was planning to get married! She and her fiance decided about three weeks before Christmas that they'd like to be married on Christmas Eve at noon. So, she calls me up asking me to help her plan the wedding......in three weeks. AGH!!!!! Most of you know that planning a wedding can be chaos at times, with other times being absolutely wonderful. Thankfully, we had more of the absolutely wonderful, and she thrilled me to pieces when she asked me to be her matron of honor. :o)


So, it's Christmas Eve morning, and I'm on my way to the church. It was about a 20 minute drive from my house to the church. I turn on Kirby Pkwy, and drive down it for about 30 seconds and get to a curve in the road. As I start to reach the curve, there's a car coming the other direction that in a split-second, crosses the middle line. He rams into the driver's side of my car, and sends me spinning across the road. All I could think when that happened was, "Please, God, don't let anyone else hit me while I have zero control of my car." Thankfully, that prayer was answered, and I ended up down the road and on the other side of the street with no one else running into my car. Also, it was wonderful that the police were already there towing a car out of someone's yard....my guess it that they hit a slick spot in the road because this other car was all the way up in the hedges next to someone's front porch. Everything from that point was just a blur because it all happened much quicker than I expected. One minute, I remember crying my eyes out, and the next, I was just shaking all over.


About an hour later, I'm at the church, and I've never felt more scatterbrained in my life. Thankfully, there were several people that stepped up and wrapped up all the last minute things that needed to be done because I start to get phone calls from the other guy's insurance company. (Are you thinking along with me that the timing for all this really could've been a lot better?) By 11 o'clock, I'm just about ready and my aunt's also just about ready, so it's time to take some pictures!! I just can't wait to see them because she was soooo beautiful. She wore a deep red, strapless gown that had a corset back and a small train, and she wore her hair up with a silver tiara with no veil. The chapel where the ceremony took place was so intimate, and the service itself was just perfect. I know they are going to be so happy together, and I'm thrilled that my aunt has found someone to share the rest of her life with. :o)


Now, it's about a week later, and I'm just sorta stuck. Having an accident during the holidays presents tons of delays simply because everyone is on vacation or their offices are closed. Right now, I'm in a waiting game to see if my car will be totalled or if they're going to try to fix it. My thinking is that it'll be totalled simply because it's older and because of all the damage. In the mean time, I'm driving a rental, and looking for another car.


Through all of this, I have not been able to stop giving thanks to God. My mind just races sometimes when I think that I could've been seriously hurt, and possibly stuck in the hospital. Even though the accident wasn't my fault, I'm also thankful that the other man wasn't injured. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were both particularly special just because I was able to be with my family and celebrate the birth of my Savior.


So, all in all, there's been some great moments this decade, some not so great, but each one is what makes up my life. I'm also thankful that this year I have made tons of new friends through blogging and reading.....you gals are fabulous! I pray that everyone has a safe New Year's weekend, and that you'll be able to make some great memories for the next decade. :o)