Serendipity Part Deux

When things happen in my life, I can't help but think about fate, destiny or serendipity, whatever you want to call it, and how it has played a significant role in my life. There's been much lately that I can only chalk up to one or all of those.

This weekend I happened to catch the movie Serendipity with John Cusak, who rarely makes a movie I don't like. I'm not sure what made me stop and actually watch this movie already in progress, which is something I don't often do if I've never seen the movie before. It was a sweet romantic "chick flick." I hope it's on again this weekend!

Anyway, the reason I got to thinking about fate, destiny etc. was because I decided to go to the library at school today to take out some books and decide on a subject for the independent study I'll be doing this fall. I really didn't feel like driving the 30 mins to get to school since I still wasn't feeling that great today. Plus it's been cloudy and raining almost everyday lately, so I tried talking myself out of going. But, I went and I get to school, get some books, decide to stop at the bank on the way home and deposit some money and then I'd be on my way home.

But just as I was approaching Hershey I heard the squeal of breaks and that ugly crunching metal sound. It's that sound that when you hear it you know exactly what has happened without even looking. It was happening in the oncoming lane of traffic, right in front of me. I reached for my cell as I was passing the young girl who rear-ended the car in front of her and asked if she was o.k. She said she wasn't but proceeded out of the car to sit on the front lawn of the house across the street. I called 911, told them where the accident was, what I'd seen, etc.

So, I see she's bleeding, I don't have a darned thing in my car to help her, no first aid kit, or anything. Then I think, "you grabbed a wad of tissues on your way out the door today so you could blow your nose all day." There the tissues sat on the front seat of the car, untouched for their intended purpose for the day. So I grabbed them and put them on the injured girls hand, careful not to press too hard on the finger she thought may be broken.

She may not have even been 20 years old. She said the car was fairly new, she thought her parents were going to kill her. She had a police officer call her mom. Can you imagine "Ma'am, this is Derry Township police, your daughter has been involved in an accident." Ugh! What mother wants to hear that? As I drove away I thought, this is a pivotal moment in this person's life. She will remember this day forever. She may become a more cautious driver because of it.

I couldn't help but think that somehow I was intended to be there at that specific time, with the wad of kleenex, maybe to provide some comfort to the injured girl or maybe it was for me to once again be thankful for the things I have. I was certainly thankful it wasn't me involved in the accident. I was thankful she wasn't injured more.

Whatever the reason, I'm glad I was there. It made me reevaluate things and come away more thankful than before.