…lack and still don’t lack. During my stay in the hospital and the rehabilitation center in Oklahoma, my parents, best friend and little brother, would travel back and forth (from Texas to Oklahoma) to see and be with me. I remember some of my good days being days when my mom would bring me home-cooked meals, and I would eat it with such joy because I got tired of hospital food. My little brother was a breath of fresh air, he smiled at me every time he came; and just was the cutest and wonderful source of joy.
I remember my dad and mom sitting down in the room, keeping me company bringing up topics that were not related to the situation at hand and my best friend curling up on the little hospital chair and as uncomfortable as the hospital chairs were, they all stayed there for hours keeping me company. I remember my mom praying and assuring me that “God is good, and he has kept me alive for a purpose”. We all prayed together, laughed together, and had some silent tear shedding moments together.
What kept me going through the medical treatment was first and foremost the fact that God kept me alive for a reason. My desire to get up, and get back to my “normal self/life” was also a great motivating factor. My family, love from people (those I knew, and barely knew), and friends also kept me going. Prayers kept me going as cousins, aunties, families and friends far and near all prayed for me.
Speaking of friends, since I was in Oklahoma and most of my friends were in Texas. I understood how “hard” it probably was for most of them to visit me, but those who did, blew my mind in ways they can’t possibly understand. Aside from my best friend, I had a friend who came to see me just about every weekend. I thank God for friends who made me laugh even when nothing looked funny at the time. My eyes were blood-shot red, neck was in a collar, arm in a cast, and I could barely breathe on my own, but none of the people who came to see made me feel less of the “real me”. Of course I had friends – whom I expected to show up – that didn’t show up, but I forgave them. I was very fortunate to have people around me who showered me with their love and concerns that it didn’t even matter who hadn’t visited.
Life after the Accident
I went back to school less than a year after the car accident – despite all odds – and I remember my first semester back to school was the hardest. I had a room to myself in the dorm – yes, no roommate – and I had the manual wheelchair. The first week of school, I fell from the wheelchair and smashed my face on hard concrete! Can you imagine? My car flipped over 4 times, I broke a spinal cord in a car accident, and my face wasn’t affected, but 1st week in school, the face got smashed on concrete! Shame on Satan! I had a swollen face, lips, and massive headaches for days.
It’s strange but my outlook on life changed for the better. I realized that life was short, and we have to thank God for each day we are blessed with. Do the best you can do each day! Tell and show those whom you love that you genuinely and truthfully love them. I know this sounds cliché like, but honestly, it’s the truth. Live your life right, and keep God first in your life. Remember that you won’t always get things right, but correct them whenever you realize you’re getting them wrong.
I feel happier and a lot more at ease with life now than I did before the accident. However,…