A few months ago, I had the privilege of traveling out of state to visit my elderly parents. I relished the opportunity to hear them reminisce about their past, as I don’t know how many more years I will have with them. My mother shared three near-death experiences: a horrible car accident and two major health issues with doctors’ prognosis that death would be the outcome.
I have heard these stories before and been grateful the outcome was what it was, but this time, the stories hit me differently. I realized my mom’s “miracles” were also my miracles. If my mom had not lived, I may not have been born, and I certainly would not have the mother I have today.
My mother said, “I don’t know if there are really guardian angels, but I like to think I do have them, and they did a good job.” It made me reflect on the times when I felt guardian angels protected me and to echo my mother’s words, “They did a good job.” Once, while traveling back to college down a snowy, windy canyon in the middle of the night, I rounded a corner to see a herd of deer in the middle of the road.
The deer in the headlights effect is real, and the deer froze. I hit my brakes and started to slide. Miraculously, I fishtailed my way through the herd of deer without hitting a single one.
Another time, before I understood the danger of airbags for small children, I had my neighbor’s child in the front seat while carpooling to school. We were on a highway, going fast, when the driver and pa.