MY SITE
  • BLOG
  • ABOUT DONNA
  • CONTACT

​​FUN

WITH
​
HEIRLOOMS





THREE MINUTES

3/4/2017

15 Comments

 
Late Friday afternoon, Brian and I were heading home on an eastbound Indiana highway. The sun shined brightly from the pretty blue sky, and our thoughts and small talk were on what to fix for supper, when to go grocery shopping on Saturday --  just regular-life stuff.

Suddenly, after rounding a curve, there it was. A two-vehicle wreck appeared in front of us, spilling out of our lane into the ditch, both cars smoking heavily. Emergency personnel hadn’t yet arrived, but it appeared an off-duty police officer was on the scene, having exited an unmarked car with flashers. A driver in a pickup, the only vehicle in front of us, had pulled over and was also out checking out the scene.

We waited in our car, watching for signs of life in the wreckage, for someone to emerge. Meanwhile, the vehicles were stacking in lines on both sides of the highway. It felt like forever, but wasn’t, before the welcome sound of sirens flooded the air, officers, firefighters and EMTs arriving to fill every inch in and around us.

Suddenly, hectic movement from those hovering around the vehicles, and the female front-seat passenger in the eastbound wrecked car was removed to the ground. Frantic CPR took place before our eyes.

I silently prayed for the woman and the unknown people inside the vehicles. Sitting there with this incredibly odd perspective of a front-row seat to sudden tragedy, so many things filled my mind.

I thought of the difference three minutes makes. When we stood to leave our friend’s home earlier, Brian made the uncharacteristic announcement that he wasn’t sure if he should visit the bathroom or if he could “make it” home first.  I said, “Why don’t you just go now to be sure?”

Did that three minutes mean it wasn’t us in the accident? That instead of  the front-seat passenger on the ground in that moment, it would be me since I was in her place in our car?

It is the oddest mix of feelings: guilt that it was her and not me,  thankfulness for my own life, the somber evidence in front of us of how life can change or be gone in a split second, that there are no guarantees about our number of days, or the way they will end. Someone can live a hundred years or be gone in an instant decades earlier.

We saw a news report that the woman didn’t survive. Neither did the driver of the other car. The news reported that he had had crossed into the eastbound lane, our lane, and hit the couple’s vehicle head on. The husband of the woman was hospitalized.

My thoughts and prayers continue with the two devastated families. I’m left to apply the lesson in the only way I know how:

Be ready and right with God and people.

Be grateful for His grace and mercy right this minute.

Treasure life. It is fleeting.

Job 14:5: You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer. (New Living Translation)

15 Comments
Marilyn J Witt link
3/4/2017 09:16:18 am

Donna, Just reading your article gave me chills. We all need to think about that a little more often. Good bible verse at the end.

Reply
Donna Cronk
3/6/2017 02:32:37 pm

There was a lot to think about as we thought about what we saw. Thanks, Marilyn.

Reply
Pat Guglielmi
3/4/2017 01:31:21 pm

What a chilling and dramatic scene you found yourselves in. Life can change so rapidly right before our eyes. We are relieved dear friend that it wasn't you and Brian and pray for the families involved. God Bless.

Reply
Donna Cronk
3/6/2017 02:33:13 pm

Aww... thank you, Pat.

Reply
Carolee link
3/4/2017 02:59:32 pm

What an experience! Timing can be everything. Maybe this was a blessing..to impress the joy of now & to not take anything for granted. Every minute is a gift.

Reply
Donna Cronk
3/6/2017 02:34:00 pm

After that, being petty about things seems so, well, petty!

Reply
Debbie M. link
3/5/2017 03:18:54 am

Donna, I am so sorry to hear about the loss of life for the families involved in the car crash and the close call for you and Brian. I believe that God "saves us" more times than we ever realize. We don't always know how close we were to danger. However, we can always know how close we are to God.

Reply
Donna Cronk
3/6/2017 02:35:37 pm

Debbie, I believe that you are correct. We have no idea how many times we are saved from tragedy. We never know when it is our time to go.

Reply
Cate M.
3/5/2017 05:30:58 pm

Donna- a man in church ask for prayers for his coworker who came upon this same accident and had given CPR to the woman until help arrived. Very tragic and as you point out, a reminder that each day is a gift.

Reply
Donna Cronk
3/6/2017 02:36:13 pm

That's amazing to hear, Cate. What a small world.

Reply
Susan Miller
3/13/2017 01:04:13 pm

This is a heartbreaking story, and you told it so beautifully.

Reply
Donna Cronk
3/13/2017 01:21:42 pm

We learned that the female victim was a math teacher in Crawfordsville, the mother of 2, age 47. The driver of the other car was 23, and he also died.

Reply
kaspersky antivirus license keypatch free downlaod link
9/2/2018 08:48:33 pm

Nice post. I learn something more challenging on different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to read content from other writers and practice a little something from their store. I?d prefer to use some with the content on my blog whether you don?t mind. Natually I?ll give you a link on your web blog. Thanks for sharing

Reply
메이저사이트 link
10/12/2019 06:13:29 am

Sharing Dream | Best Toto Site Safety Playgrounds
Clearly, there are major sites in sports toto betting sites. In all operations, the major sites are clearly different from those of mite sites.

Reply
Beyes link
10/20/2019 09:14:44 pm

Everyone likes to be told that we love him and think about him.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    DONNA CRONK

    FUN WITH HEIRLOOMS
    is my most popular program for 2023, inspired by my memoir There's a Clydesdale in the Attic: Reflections on Keeping and Letting Go. Contact me to hear about my programs for your event.

    CONTACT: Let's talk about it. Call me at 317-224-7028. Email:
    newsgirl.1958@gmail.
    com.  



    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All
    Age Thing
    Aging
    Author Journey
    Christmas
    Clydesdale In The Attic
    Cooking
    Cooties
    Crafts
    Creepy!
    Decor
    Faith
    Family
    Farm
    Fashion
    Friendships
    Gardening
    God Bless America
    Gratitude
    Guest Posts
    Hair!
    Halloween
    Holidays
    Home
    Indiana
    Indiana Bicentennial
    Keeping The Peace
    Life Connections
    Mail Call
    Newspapers
    Next Chapter
    Pen Women
    Photography
    Poison Ivy!
    Quilting Club
    Reggie
    Retirement
    Sadness
    Seasons
    Seller's Cabinet
    Shopping
    Sleep
    Snow Day
    Tourism
    Travel
    Union County
    Weird Food
    What We Keep
    Writer Chicks Society
    Writing

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos used under Creative Commons from Lise1011, Simone Ramella, StarsApart, Biblioteca General Antonio Machado, kennethkonica, roseannadana: Thank you for 3 million views, GotCredit, chuck4x5, besnette, nielskliim, James E. Petts, jeffdjevdet, rumolay, kkmarais, tgrauros, susivinh, Larry1732
  • BLOG
  • ABOUT DONNA
  • CONTACT