"This is it, I am going to die."
Those were the final words that crossed my mind while my car spun. A 4x4 vehicle crashed behind. The impact sent my small hatchback catapulting in the air and landing on the island in the middle of a long desert highway.
The collision must have been quick, but it felt as though everything was in slow motion. I was frozen in place and watched everything happen as if I wasn't there. My head hit the car window hard, while the air bag burst open and pressed towards me.
I was driving alone on my way to work in the middle of the desert that morning. It was supposed to be a day like any other.
The road was empty. I decided to take a different road that morning. We were running at a speed of more than 120 km/h on a 4-lane highway before the collision.
As soon as I was conscious, I spotted smoke coming out of the car. I grabbed my phone and wriggled my way out immediately. As I crawled on the grass, moving away from the car, the man who caused the accident was swearing at me in a foreign language. I was still in shock. I screamed back at him to call for help,
"Can't you see I'm bleeding? Call the ambulance!"
I reached for my phone and called the office to cancel my meetings. Yes, the workaholic me called my boss first, then my husband who frantically asked where I was.
I found half of my car squashed flat and irreparable. The only part that was saved from the impact was the driver seat.
This actually happened.
How I survived that car crash with just broken fingers, scratches and concussion is still beyond me. I take it as a divine miracle.
I am sharing this story with you because this has been a life-changing point for me. It made me realize how volatile life really is, which would explain why these are the things I am grateful for as today's Day 22 of 30 Day Blogging Challenge by @tegoshei.
I still remember the intensity of that moment when I stared at death in the eye. Everything was happening around me beyond my control. It changed me. I started to ask why I was doing what I did and whether it was worth it. I learned to appreciate the things I took for granted. I realized how it could have been worse.
I am thankful that I am healthy and alive today.
Isn't it wonderful that I could finally eat solid food?
During the pandemic lock down, I experienced unimaginably painful toothaches that needed urgent dental extraction. The closest dentist an hour away was closed for three months. Those painful sleepless nights under the lull of pain relievers while listening to reiki meditation gave me an appreciation for the set of good teeth I have left. As I chew my roasted vegetables and chicken, you have no idea how happy it makes me.
Yesterday, I wrote about my VIPs (very important persons). I made a mental note and made sure I call them on the phone today or have a video chat to express how grateful I am to have them in my life. I just did.
Experiencing Appreciation
One of my intentions is to indulge more in conscious appreciation as opposed to appreciation through absence or appreciation through comparison (comparing our lives vs situations of others).
Conscious appreciation comes naturally from within. It is not triggered by any external source.
The best definition of Gratitude I found is this one so far:
"Gratitude is not an attitude in our mind. Feeling grateful is an internal experience of fullness and expansion in the heart, an expansion that spontaneously arises from the recognition of love, of goodness, and of grace." - Conscious Lifestyle Magazine
Thank you, I'm grateful that you've reached this far in reading my article. Thank you and I wish you a lovely day full of gratitude and blessings!
Check out previous posts if you haven't read them yet and please join us in the 30 Day Blogging Challenge by @tegoshei:
Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 / Day 6 / Day 7 / Day 8 / Day 9 / Day 10 / Day 11 / Day 12 / Day 13 / Day 14 / Day 15 / Day 16 / Day 17 / Day 18 / Day 19/ Day 20 / Day 21
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