Friday, June 22, 2007

Things happen

Just visiting
Just wanting to have some fun
in the City
They go out
Older sister
Younger sister
Friend

Green light
Red light
Distractions
Hit and run
Emergency room
Broken bones
Shaken nerves
Destroyed car

Family stays up
Waiting
Everyone's okay
But not until you hug them

~~~~~~~~

Sometimes God humbles you after you complain, I think. A couple of posts ago I expressed discontent at my relatives staying at my house the week of the wedding. Tonight, while assembling programs, eating home-baked cookies, and drinking wine, my phone rings (for the fifth time that night: sister, friend, mom, sister again, then this). My nieces have been in a car accident. They are fine, I am assured, but I get no story, as my fiance is on the scene and needing to be helpful. Later, when I call to ask, "When are you coming home?" I am told they are still at the ER. ER? I thought they were fine. Turns out Neisha, the niece who has lived with us for nine months, was driving, and has broken toes and a really sore knee. Cortney, her younger sister who arrived yesterday from Texas, was in the back seat and not wearing a seatbelt, so was thrown around and is just "sore all over". Friend Maggie took the direct hit from the car that apparently ran a red light and smashed into them. He drove off. Maggie is broken in many places I am told. Sigh. A keen bystander got a license plate. The guy has already been arrested. Score one for the police.

Things happen that make you realize you are family. My immediate heart jump told me how much I loved these girls I can legally call my nieces in just seven days. This thing we call family is crazy indeed. In seven days, I will have more nieces and nephews than my mother. One of them is older than I am. Two of them I haven't yet met. But they, like their parents who will be my brothers and sisters in law, are now my family. And they're wonderful. God bless them.

Other things happened today. It was a great day. Summer solstice. Productive errand-running. Bad news from afar, later bolstered with a hopeful outlook. Lunch and shopping with a dear friend in a quaint place. Dinner cooked alfresco. Evening spent with boisterous girlfriends. I could ramble on about each of these subjects. But I won't. Because things happen that overshadow other things.

2 comments:

Molly said...

Oh, Emily, how scary! My sister was in a car accident a number of years ago, when Ryan and I were new to each other, and that was the first night (only night?) I spent at his parents' house--I had come home to an empty house and an answering machine making this strange noise. My parents were gone, just wanted me to come to the hospital, so Ryan drove back, half an hour, to drive me to the hospital (because I couldn't, I was shaking) and she is OK now, but how scary.

So Em, I'm so happy to hear that they caught the jerk--this is satisfaction--and so wonderful that someone thought to write down the license! A hit and run--awful, but at least it will look worse on the record, for hurting people YOU LOVE.

My thoughts with you and your new family tonight.

Molly said...

PS: You were my picture of the day for the second time. Watch out, Kelly. She's the most-featured human, and you've only got seven more to catch up. :)

PS: Yes, that is the real time. I took a post-shopping nap.