Life's too short

 So we were sitting there in the theater, 10 minutes into Uncharted - my phone is ringing and my daughters sweet face is on my screen.  Normally I wouldn't answer my phone in the theater, but this moment was different.  Maybe it's because she moved out last month and I really miss her, or maybe it was my mom radar going off - either way, I answered... "mom I roaksnf sdklengg skdaok" upset, crying and unclear - "Bri, slow down I can't understand you, what's wrong?" (my first thought was that a relative had passed away) "I just got hit from behind on the interstate while I was heading to Starbucks - my head is hurting and my car is messed up" That's where my intuition kicked in "where are you at", while simultaneously telling Larry to give me the keys, Bri has been in an accident and hit on the interstate - immediately he and Colton stood up and we were running from the theater and heading to her.  The call happened at 7:52 and we were on scene 5.7 miles away by 8:00. 

I jumped out of the truck and ran to check on my girl.  The people who hit her didn't speak English and when she got out of the car crying they smiled and laughed at her.  Fortunately she was ok and an off-duty paramedic had stopped to help her before emergency personnel arrived. To make a long story short, the female driver of the vehicle was arrested on the scene and I'm not certain but I believe they took the man as well.  There were several other vehicles that showed up and I assume were taking the teenage son.  My concern was getting a copy of the insurance card they claimed they had but the Trooper informed me that they have bigger issues than insurance.  My girl stated she was good to go home on her own because she needed to study for finals for her college class.  I posted an update letting our family know as well as her friends and family.  This morning I checked on her to see how she was doing to which she replied, "fine" - I left her alone knowing she's stressed over school and trusting that when she needs me she knows she can come to mom.

My day was sailing along smoothly today I went to work, went to the studio with my friend to record a commercial, to lunch and then back to work.  My phone began to ring and it was Larry. "hey, I need to tell you what happened to my ring before you find out when I get home" Being the wife of an HVAC man my thought was ok, he crushed it again, a diamond fell out, something simple. "Ok, tell me". "well, I was changing the battery on a generator and was reconnecting the terminals and somehow it arced, conducted to my ring and electrocuted my finger.  My ring has burn marks in a couple of places"  I asked for him to send me pictures, and what he meant was his ring was actually melted in two places by the arc and his skin was blistered around his finger from the electricity passing through it. Fortunately, it was the power from the battery and not the actual pole current.

Y'all, let me tell you, these are two *potential* life altering events that occurred in less than 24 hours.  I very easily could've lost my child or my husband if circumstances had even been slightly different.  It's nothing but the Grace of God that I have two of the most important people in my life still alive today.  Usually Wednesday's consist of karaoke and a mid-week breath of air with friends, but tonight, it was simple - dinner with my hubby, sipping chamomile citrus tea and just taking a breath and exhaling to the point I literally dozed off in Red Lobster listening to the music with my head back against the booth. I've been reflecting on how fragile and precious life is and if I'm doing my best to make sure my people know they're loved. 

It's so easy to get caught up in the BS of day to day life, to be upset that someone said or did something that hurt our feelings.  It's easy to withdraw or react and blow *it* out of the water.  I try not to get stuck in the dark thoughts and scenarios, but one thing I have learned the hard way time and time again is life is short and there is no going back once someone is gone.  There is no could've/should've/would've when it's too late.  I can't live my life holding onto things - onto wrongs and hurts.  I'm going to choose to love - even when it's viewed as wrong for someone else.  I'm strong enough to carry the weight of someone's disappointment, what I refuse to carry is the weight of my regret.  Loving freely and genuinely - that's something I'll never regret.