My Morning

It was a typical Thursday morning. I was running late. Threw my hair up in a ponytail, put on the clothes on the top of the “clean pile” and headed out. As I was walking out to the car, I realized I forgot my coat. I forgot my scarf, my gloves, my earmuffs. I had a jacket on, but that was it. It was too cold to turn back now. I jumped in the car. The temp on my dash read 12 degrees. I thought about going back inside and grabbing my winter gear, but decided I didn’t have the time or the desire to fight the elements. Heater on high, rear window defrost, I took off.

There was what I like to call a “Texas snow” on the ground. It hadn’t really snowed. There was a thick covering of white on everything but you could still see the grass popping through. There’s a little patch of white here and there on the sidewalk or the curb. It’s been that way for a few days. One good warm day would melt it all in no time. But it’s still cold!

I didn’t make coffee this morning. If I had, I could have kept my hands warm with the thermos. Instead I drove sitting on one hand, to keep it warm and driving with the other. When the driving hand was near frostbite, I’d switch them. Yep, it’s winter here.

I really didn’t have time, but I pulled into Bruggers for a cup of coffee anyway. I needed it. Starbucks would take too long and now that they’ve closed my beloved Tim Horton’s there aren’t many choices on the way to work. It’s that or McDonald’s since I am NOT a fan of Dunkin’ Donuts’ coffee. Anyway, I placed my order and waited. I’m not sure if it was taking especially long this morning for the 2 cars ahead of me or it just seemed that way because I was cold and running behind.

I finally pulled up to the window and reached over to grab my wallet. Didn’t see it. Dumped out my purse. It wasn’t there. Panic. I drove off before the lady could come to the window. No coat. No wallet. Is it Monday? Well, no coffee or anything else for me today.

I went over the Route 3 bridge in Glastonbury as I always do and exited to get onto I-91. I was going around the curvy exit ramp when I hit ice. In an instant, before I knew what was happening, my car was spinning 'round and 'round and all I could think as I was spinning was "I'M GOING TO HAVE MY FIRST CT WRECK AND I DON'T HAVE MY WALLET WITH ME!"  Most of you reading this have no idea where I am talking about, so I tried to create a map. (It's not crystal clear, but if you click on the photo, it will pop up bigger and you can see it a little better. I think you can click it twice to really zoom in and see.) I started from the right corner going over the bridge and then curved off that first exit to get onto the service road that would split and then merge with I-91. 

I could write this all very dramatically I'm sure, but the truth is, it all happened so fast, I'm not entirely sure what happened. There wasn't enough time for drama. I hit ice and spun out and out and out and out again. I do, however, know very well what DIDN'T happen. There was not a car right behind me, nor was I on any one's bumper coming around the exit, which is rare. Usually it's a pretty busy place to merge. I was exiting alone. There are often times cars merging (and going pretty fast I might add) from Route 3 coming in from the other direction, so it's a "merge" spot before I-91. No cars were speeding down that road. They would not have been able to stop for me had they been there. I didn’t hit a guard rail. I wasn’t left standing out in the cold with a wrecked car, no coat and no wallet. I didn’t hurt anyone and I wasn’t hurt myself. Not a scratch on the car.

I also know that I had no control over the car. I panicked. I wasn’t hitting the break or steering the wheel. The car just stopped, across two lanes, me facing the pond. I looked up and saw cars that had stopped to my passenger’s side. I put my hand up and waved like “Thanks for not killing me” and drove off. It wasn’t until I was on I-91 that my stomach cramped up and my hands started shaking.

Lucky? Coincidence? All the star aligned? I don’t think so. God took care of me and protected me big time this morning. It was just one of those things. I know how it should have been. I know how it could have been. I know what I did and how I reacted (or my lack of reaction really). There's no other explanation.  - Matthew 10:29-31