Song of The Day: Too Beautiful For Words by The Original Broadway Cast Of "The Color Purple" [https://youtu.be/JTNJGWN3xfc]
Life is so beautiful. Waking up every morning and seeing the sun rise and the moon shine bright at night is a blessing. Being able to have air in my lungs and blood pumping through my body is a miracle and having the ability to articulate my emotions and form thoughts and opinions on the world is a gift. But life is also scary. You begin to wonder how something so wonderful can also be so frightening because one moment you feel like everything is JUST right. Your family is in a good place, your finances are stable, and you are happy, but in a blink of an eye your entire life can be shaken up by just one single sentence...
June 6, 2016, I was awakened around 7 in the morning by my mom walking in my room in tears. It was like a shot straight to my nervous system. She said to me, "try to call your daddy. He isn't answering the phone and never showed up at work." At that point, sleep was the last thing on my mind and I was trying to console my mother and pray that nothing bad had happened on my dad's way to work. So many horrible things were going through my mind but I couldn't show that emotionally because I had to be strong for my mother who was upset. After about an hour, I received a phone call from an officer saying that my father was flown to Norfolk General Hospital because he was in a car accident. You know when you're a little kid and you think of something funny but you can't act on it because something serious is going on? That was how I felt in that moment, but with a very different emotion. I had to keep my composure and appear to be stoic while I was freaking out inside because my mom was falling apart at the seams. Let me tell you something. There is nothing worse than seeing your parent cry. It is absolutely heartbreaking. Parents appear to be so strong all of the time, so when they finally break down, it is like you don't know what to do.
Once we arrived at the hospital, I felt a sense of relief because I knew that my dad was alive and stable. Those moments of not knowing are where your faith is tested the most. I remember praying and praying that everything would be ok. I prayed that he would be alive and I prayed for my mother because she was taking this harder than any of us. Can you just imagine that? A person that you have known since you were a child and have been with for almost 25 years being hurt and you can't do a single thing about it? It is scary. I was thinking the whole time that he had to be alive because I could not imagine life without him. I was also thinking that I don't want to have to help my mom plan a funeral anytime soon because I am too young to lose my dad. Thinking back to that Monday and to where we are now (two weeks later), I can honestly say that God works in mysterious ways. There is no other explanation. Prayer works and miracles do happen every single day. Seeing him that Monday morning all covered in glass and torn apart struck something in me. I pray to God no one ever has to face that feeling. I now have a glimpse of what it is like for those that stay in hospitals for long periods of time due to illnesses. It is not fun and it is not something I would wish on my worst enemy (not that I have one). You get no sleep, you're poked several times, and there is no peace. I know how I feel about staying in a hospital, but I can't even imagine what is going through my dad's mind. He has always been extremely independent and active, so seeing him stuck in a bed and not very independent hurts. I pray every single day that he will get out of this hospital and return to his life better than ever. Seeing him go through spinal surgery and blood transfusions just made me appreciate the work of those in the medical field so much more. I thank God for the nurses, surgeons, specialists, EMTs, therapists, and any other people that have contributed to his well-being. They are living angels because he most certainly would not be here right now without their hard work and care.
The most amazing thing that I have seen since all of this happened is the support. You know when things happen and people say that if you need anything, they will help you? Some people actually mean it. It is beyond shocking how people that you haven't spoken to in years will show up and be a blessing to you. The other day my dad said something that really made me think. He said that you never really know whose life you have impacted until something happens to you. The love and kind words that we have received since that Monday has been so heartwarming. Knowing that you have people in your corner that want to see you do better is astonishing. It makes you feel good. I believe that there is a reason for all of this. Everything that is happening in this moment has a purpose. We may not know what that purpose may be now and maybe we will never know, but it means something. The pain, tears, and stress is shaping and strengthening all of us. If there is one thing that has become more evident to me since my dad's accident is that things happen SO quickly. When I went to bed Sunday night, I was not expecting all of this to happen. You can try your hardest to prepare for things like this, but in the end you will never really be prepared because there are some things you cannot prevent. You think you're invincible or the single exception. You think that you're too young to die or people get in accidents everyday, but it won't be you. I was listening to a song and a singer said that "dying is easy...living is harder." You don't realize that until something major happens and shakes up your life and those around you. You can die so easily, but you have to fight to live and that is what my dad is doing. I was telling him that he has so much to look forward so that makes him want to try harder. Seeing him work his hardest in physical and occupational therapy makes me happy because he is trying so hard to beat this.
I am just overwhelmed with the magnitude of God's greatness because every time I think about the various outcomes that could have occurred in this situation, I look up and smile. I can't even begin to really describe it all. I want to thank everyone who has been keeping our family in their prayers because prayer still works. We will get through this. My dad most definitely will get through this. We couldn't have done it all without the love and support.
"...the night can only last for so long. Whatever you're facing, if your heart is breaking, there's a promise for the ones who just hold on. Life up your eyes and see. The sun is rising." ~ Britt Nicole
