Thanksgivings

Today as Hugo and I pulled out of the drive to head into the city to run errands I said my customary prayer for safety on the road and because Jonathan was suppose to drive home today in his Dad’s truck, I added him to my prayers. Suddenly I had a lurch in my stomach and I had a bad feeling, so I said an extra Our Father.

We were out longer than expected and when we hit heavy traffic heading home I said another prayer for safety, something I rarely feel the need to do more than once in a day. And again, I had that lurch in my stomach so once more I said an Our Father complete with the sign of the cross. Yet, I felt strongly I was not praying enough so I added some Hail Maries – just for Jonathan to get home safe and sound.

I called home to remind everyone to put some soup on so that they would be ready to leave for Mass and Confession at St Joe’s by the time we got home. I planned on staying home with the youngest ones so that others could relax as well as focus better on the Mass. Thirty minutes after getting home the little ones and I saw them off and settled down to enjoy the little cakes I had bought for treats to help make up for the disappointment of not getting to go out with the big kids. Once finished I sat there wondering what to do next with them, there was still a full two hours before bedtime and a two hour bath might leave them shriveled beyond return, even if I could keep them in there for that long.

I decided with the warm weather it would be a good idea to start learning some soccer skills and so we gathered a blanket for Elsa, dressed her in a fresh diaper and jammies and grabbed two balls and headed for the side field. It was not too long before Elsa was covered in grass, dried leaves and dandelion fur. Tired of digging flowers, sticks and leaves out of her mouth I suggested that we clean up and head over to the gas station to get some juice for Emma’s bedtime baba.

While I was waiting for eveyone to wash their faces and hands the phone rang and Teddy answered it. After a brief second he rushed to get me. “It’s Jonathan Mummy, and he says he has to talk to you quickly!”

That familiar lurch from earlier of the day attacked me again. I grabbed the phone and immediately asked, “What’s wrong?”

Quickly assuring me he was okay he proceed to, in my opinion, very calmly explain that he was probably not going to make it home as he was currently sitting on the side of the 85 squashed up against the median – facing the wrong way.

“I’m not sure what happened Madre, but all of a sudden only a mile or two out of Belmont the truck started to make a funny noise and then suddenly the steering wheel lurched out of my hand and the truck went into a spin. I spun around four, five maybe six times as I crossed the three lanes with cars desperately trying to avoid me. I sat there watching and wondering which one would hit me and was I going to die today?”

He continued, “I hit the median so I think the truck is a bit damaged there but Thank God for the median, or I would have continued into the traffic on the other side and have been killed for sure.“

Yes – I agree, he probably would have been. In fact it is nothing short of a miracle that in rush hour traffic going 65 miles an hour and spinning across three lanes that he was not hit and killed, before he struck the median.

He is spending the night with his sister and a few friends at the college and tomorrow we will figure out how to get him home, although every fiber of me wants to get into the car and drive up to the college so I can see with my own eyes that he is okay.

Praise be to God. Thank you Jesus, Thank you Mary! Thank you Jonathan’s Guardian Angels! Thank you!!!! I am still mum2twelve and so exceedingly grateful for that! This will be a Tridium to remember for us. We have been very blessed.