I was at work maybe 15 minutes. My ex called to tell me that he had just dropped of our younger son at my place. While on the office phone with him, my cell phone rings and it’s our oldest son.
Me: “Hey buddy, what’s up?”
Son: “Mom, I’ve been in an accident.” With a phone on each ear the conversation continues.
Me: “Are you OK? Where are you?”
Son: “I’m OK. I don’t know. The car is totaled, the air bags went off, the car is full of smoke. I was headed to work on my way to the Northern Pkwy”
Me: “Alright, you’re OK. You’re on South Oyster Bay Rd. What stores are you near?”
Ex: “I’m on South Oyster Bay Rd. now.”
Son: “Near the auto parts store and Dunkin Donuts.”
Me: “There isn’t a Dunkin Donuts on that road. Use your cell phone and send your dad and I your location.”
Me: “You’re on Old Country Rd. I’ll be there in 10 min.”
Ex: “Headed that way now.”
I texted my boss and ran out the door. Why the hell was he on that road? Maybe avoiding heavier traffic on the main roads? He didn’t know where he was, is he really ok? What the heck really happened? Can you imagine the stress levels spiking here?
I was actually able to keep my cool. He was OK. He was able to call me. No need for hysterics. Even if it were worse, what would getting hysterical do to help the situation? I arrived at the scene just after my ex. He wasn’t happy in the least. Already lecturing our son.
My son was swearing he wasn’t on the phone, didn’t have the radio on, not playing with the heat, paying full attention and in the right lane just like his father always tells him to be. He claimed the car in front of him stopped short and he slammed on the breaks. With that he managed to plow into the car in front of him. His car was totaled. The other car with a family of 4, including 2 small boys maybe around 5 and 7 in age, had their rear window smashed. Everyone was shaken with no visible injuries. Everyone was walking around.
As a mother, I could have freaked out. Insurance claims, law suits and whiplash injuries now loom. However, keeping calm and balanced in my thoughts helped to get through this challenging situation.
Everyone was okay. Cars and windows are replaceable. Love and Light understanding the other mother’s pain and concern for her boys. Knowing that my 2 boys were that age once and realizing that if that were me, I would understand that my boys would one day be teenagers and new drivers as well. Understanding and appreciating my ex’s concern and stress about the damage to the car. Appreciating that this was a teaching moment for my son. Keeping the appreciation for this challenging situation, helped to keep my emotions in check and my mindset balanced.
It’s amazing how a challenging situation can be handled with ease when you know how to look at the issues from all angles and appreciate every aspect.
Love and Light to you,
Dawn-Marie