You’re all also fans of Nicholas Sparks, right? The very first book I cried sobbed like a baby as I finished was  “Message in a Bottle.” They knew I was so touched they made it into a film. I didn’t love that one so much (don’t do it, Kevin Costner!) but as his books became more popular, more movies followed and of the many that require a tissue or two was The Vow. Oh, The Vow.

If you haven’t seen it, I won’t spill the beans. All you need to know for the sake of understanding where I’m headed is … there was a car accident and Channing Tatum who may have had his shirt off once or twice in the movie talks about his theory involving the moment of impact.

“My theory is about moments, moments of impact. My theory is that these moments of impact, these flashes of high intensity that completely turn our lives upside down actually end up defining who we are. The thing is each one of us is the sum total of every moment that we’ve ever experienced with all the people we’ve ever known. And it’s these moments that become our history. Like our own personal greatest hits of memories that we play and replay in our minds over and over again.”

I’ve been sharing lately (without using the phrase exactly) that I’ve felt some very real moments of impact over the past couple of months. And strangely, this past Friday, I felt another. And it was very real. And it involved a car accident.

Let me back up to Tuesday. It’s a short sidebar. Someone hit my car in a parking lot in Kalamazoo. ‘Hey person who hit my car in Kalamazoo … you can rest easy now. My bumper is really not a problem anymore.’ I was all set to take my car to be fixed Monday, as in yesterday.

See? I said it was short. Anyway, Friday. I worked most of the day and took a trip up to Hudsonville to pick up fun photo stuff. The line of cars to get on the highway was long so I decided to take back roads en route to a pedicure. FTW. I really love taking back roads. I passed by a series of barns (clearly marked NO TRESPASSING … maybe that’s where I went wrong) and got out to take some photos. I left there and found my way into downtown Byron Center. I was at the light downtown and was going to jump on the highway to arrive at make-my-feet-pretty town. Well, I stopped as the light was red and was patiently waiting my turn when a driver heading in my direction on the opposing street looked to be heading in my direction. I mean, he should have been traveling west. That would have made sense. But, then I watched him literally travel in my direction and before I could wrap my brain around what was happening, we had our own moment of impact.

Shock set in fairly quickly after I looked down to see an arm that was no longer straight from elbow to hand. My right, dominant arm with swelling fingers as I type #neversaidiwassmart. I don’t want to bore anyone with details but it became a real ‘scene’ with officers and fire trucks and an ambulance and lots of amazing people willing to help. I was thankful my parents weren’t far away and when I saw them running across the busy intersection looking like parents would when their child was seated in a neck collar in a fairly wrecked car, I was even more grateful to see their familiar faces.

I took a trip to ER and learned I have some break/fracture stuff going on in my wrist. We were there most of the night so they could start the process of putting the bone back where they found it and now I’m in a plaster splint awaiting the surgery verdict.

I’ve been in accidents before (several, actually) but that was definitely the most unnerving and the one that will have a longer-lasting impact. Both the other driver and I are facing our own journey as a result of this. Our paths are now connected and I can’t help but feel compassion for what he’s facing as a result.

As I seek to understand the meaning behind this particular moment, I am going to be bold and simply ask for your prayers. I learned today that my car is going to Subaru Heaven (which makes me so dang sad. #lovesubaru). It’s just a car, though, and can be replaced. I see a surgeon tomorrow and I’ll just admit I’m nervous about that. The result of the follow-up will have an impact on not only me, but the other driver as well. And although each of these moments become part of our history, I think we can all agree that it’s just easier to get to the part of the story where you can smile because it happened.