Whole Different Light

Whole Different Light

​Since Saturday I’ve been looking at life in a whole different light.

Have you ever had something so out of the norm or unexpected happen out of the blue and you don’t even have time to think about it...you are simply reacting to it?

We are all uniting these days to the impact of the coronavirus on our families, how we live and how we work.

I never thought things would take another turn bringing more unexpected into the mix. I got a call Saturday in the afternoon from my fiancé’s phone. I answered and said, “Hello...hello...hello”. Expecting it to be Eric my fiancé and instead I hear, “Is this Cara?” And I responded, “Yes it is.” The voice on the other end said, “Eric’s been in a car accident.”

I didn’t see it coming, I was excited to go to a local park and social distance myself with a trail run and than meet my fiancé back at the house to eat steaks we had bought the day before then sit outside that night together over drinks by the fire pit.

Little did I know in a few short moments I would receive a call saying that Eric was on his way to Duke University Hospital after being hit by a vehicle who ran a red light and hit his car so hard that he did a 180 degree turn into a telephone pole.

As soon as I found out where he was, I got in my car and called my mom so she could continuously remind me not to speed.

I got to the hospital and the staff guided me to the trauma center where I found Eric in excruciating pain. Eric had a dislocated shoulder, multiple lacerations to the left arm and face, broken jaw and broken ribs.

Myself, along with family and friends were happy that his injuries were not worse. We are happy that he is already home and will be recovering over the next few months.

I found myself already anxious about the impact of the coronavirus, social distancing, having a sixth grader at home full time managing his online learning and prepping my own college course for online learning and more but I won’t get into all that right now.

Bam...another twist...fiancé in a horrific car accident.

I’ m looking at things from a whole different light. I find myself in friends’ shoes who have taken care of a loved one who is hurt or sick. Thinking to myself how did they do this and having mad respect for them!

As I told my students when we departed campus we will journey together, be patient, trusting and caring. Most importantly to support each other’s wellbeing. I did not realize how much I would be living that statement after Saturday’s accident.

This light is tired, I am loved, I am grateful that my fiancé’s injuries were not worse and I respect seeing life in a whole different light. Myself, Eric, our family and friends will only be stronger after this.

When we meet something unexpected we truly look at our daily tasks in a new way and in the moment we are learning and from that learning we become stronger and appreciate the lens of looking from a whole different light.



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