As The World Turns

At the risk of posting two preachy entries in a row, I have to start off the week by saying, "CHECK YOUR CHILD SAFETY SEATS AND USE THEM ALL THE TIME!"

We were on our way back from a picture-perfect Sunday outing - kayaking and swimming at the lake, a lovely drive home, followed by a stop for ice cream - when our whole world turned upside down. Literally. I didn't see the other car coming, didn't even hear the crash. The only thing I was aware of was the windshield caving in as our car rolled over. And the total feeling of helplessness as I thought about my daughter in the back seat. Our sturdy ol' truck did a complete 360-degree flip, landing back on the tires. As soon as we were still, I jumped into the back seat to check on M. She was screaming at the top of her lungs - jarring, but reassuring - and demanding to get out of the car. Her car seat was nudged a little to one side, but otherwise intact. I swept her up and took her inside the nearest building to look her over. Once we determined that the only blood on her had come from me, I could hardly believe it. There wasn't a scratch on her. Nor a bruise, nor a bump. She was perfect. Scared, but unscathed.

Amazingly, everyone involved in the accident - me, my husband, M, and the mother and son in the other vehicle - walked away, with the most severe injury being a little glass-infused road rash from where my arm hit the pavement during our roll. But it's impossible to stop thinking about what could have happened. The firefighters who responded to the accident said they were stunned that the injuries weren't more severe. They took one look at the scene and fully expected to be wheeling someone away. If we hadn't all been buckled up, and M hadn't been safely secured in her car seat, the outcome would have surely been much, much worse.

Thanks to everyone - friends, medical professionals and compassionate strangers - who helped us out yesterday. And thanks Graco.