Peace unto All.
In the name of God, Most Merciful, Most Gracious. All praises and thanks be to God, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds. You alone I worship, and You alone I ask for help.
I've experienced something tonight that I do not wish on anyone else. And if it weren't for the Grace of God, I would not be here speaking to you all. Were it not for the Mercy of God, I would no longer be having the wonderful debates and discussions that I've grown to love and look forward to, eventhough we don't always agree on everything You've all grown close to me in a very odd way, yes even you radroth.
I was driving on the highway, and as you all know, I live in Montreal, winter capital of North America. There was black ice everywhere, and -33Celsius. At some point, I spotted a car in front of me a few meters away that slipped and twirled and ended up hitting the highway barrier, full force, frontal. The driver of that car did not seem to be doing ok.
Another driver and myself stopped our cars around the injured driver's car, to shield him from oncoming traffic and to call for road assistance and ambulance. We got out of our cars to check up on the guy and calm him down, he seemed quite disoriented and incoherent. As soon as I hang up the phone with 911, the guy who stopped with me just shouted "watch out! watch out! watch out!".
When I turned around, I saw two cars sliding sideways right in our direction. At that moment, time froze. I thought for sure, this was it. I stared and focused on the car that was about to swipe me off the road, or cut me in two, or paralyze me or just kill me instantly. But at the moment the car was right in front of me, I jumped over it's hood as it continued to slide under me, quite fast. I landed hard on the ground, as I noticed another 3 or 4 cars slamming into each other all around me. The driver who was standing with me got hit directly and was thrown onto the back of a van. When the initial mayhem ended, people were bleeding and screaming everywhere...
Although temperatures were waaaay below freezing, I felt no cold, no pain, nothing. Adrenaline rush. Ambulances and police took no time at all to arrive. I went to check on my "friend", he could stand up and talk, but his hip and arm didn't seem kosher at all. As people were being treated, I walked from one car to the next, talking to cops and medics, helping wherever I can. An hour had passed, and then the feeling sank in, I could've died had I not taken that leap of faith into the air as the car hurdled towards me. I was the only one unharmed in the whole fiasco. All I wanted to do now was go home, and hug my family and tell them how much I loved them.
Another hour or so of enduring extreme cold, wind chill and exhaustion had passed before my tow truck started heading out, and gave me a ride home. I spent the rest of the night crying with my family and praising God for the life He has blessed me with, and the soul He entrusted to me.
Folks, all this to say, cherish everything and everyone that matters to you. But most important, cherish Life itself, your life, and the life others. For you will never realize the value of life until you value the life of others.
I'm still shaking as I type, but I felt it was important to share my experience with all of you as a way for me to come to terms and to deal with it. All I can think about right now is "Why did I bother stopping?", "What was I doing taking the highway in such obviously dangerous conditions?", "Had I done things differently, would less poeple have been injured?", "Why am I unharmed, yet all the others were injured?" Anyway...
I want you all to consider this: there are no coincidences in life, a higher power IS at work in our lives and at every moment, whether you believe or not. Of this, I am certain beyond the shadow of a doubt.
I leave you with this for now, I need some time off to reflect and calm down. But rest assured, I will return to answer all your posts addressed to me and the questions I receive in PM, as God Wills.
Pick up the phone, call your loved ones, and tell them about one of the things which you appreciate in them.
Ok! Now i feel like an old man rambling on! So I will close with these sayings from the two people I admire most and who've taught me everything:
God is not merciful to him who is not so to humankind. He who is not kind to God's creation and to his own children, God will not be kind to him. --Prophet Muhammad
Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. --Jesus Christ
Then a whale swallowed him (Jonah) and he had done an act worthy of blame. Had he not been of them who glorify God, he would have indeed remained inside its belly till the Day of Resurrection. Qur'an 37:142-144
In the name of God, Most Merciful, Most Gracious. All praises and thanks be to God, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds. You alone I worship, and You alone I ask for help.
I've experienced something tonight that I do not wish on anyone else. And if it weren't for the Grace of God, I would not be here speaking to you all. Were it not for the Mercy of God, I would no longer be having the wonderful debates and discussions that I've grown to love and look forward to, eventhough we don't always agree on everything You've all grown close to me in a very odd way, yes even you radroth.
I was driving on the highway, and as you all know, I live in Montreal, winter capital of North America. There was black ice everywhere, and -33Celsius. At some point, I spotted a car in front of me a few meters away that slipped and twirled and ended up hitting the highway barrier, full force, frontal. The driver of that car did not seem to be doing ok.
Another driver and myself stopped our cars around the injured driver's car, to shield him from oncoming traffic and to call for road assistance and ambulance. We got out of our cars to check up on the guy and calm him down, he seemed quite disoriented and incoherent. As soon as I hang up the phone with 911, the guy who stopped with me just shouted "watch out! watch out! watch out!".
When I turned around, I saw two cars sliding sideways right in our direction. At that moment, time froze. I thought for sure, this was it. I stared and focused on the car that was about to swipe me off the road, or cut me in two, or paralyze me or just kill me instantly. But at the moment the car was right in front of me, I jumped over it's hood as it continued to slide under me, quite fast. I landed hard on the ground, as I noticed another 3 or 4 cars slamming into each other all around me. The driver who was standing with me got hit directly and was thrown onto the back of a van. When the initial mayhem ended, people were bleeding and screaming everywhere...
Although temperatures were waaaay below freezing, I felt no cold, no pain, nothing. Adrenaline rush. Ambulances and police took no time at all to arrive. I went to check on my "friend", he could stand up and talk, but his hip and arm didn't seem kosher at all. As people were being treated, I walked from one car to the next, talking to cops and medics, helping wherever I can. An hour had passed, and then the feeling sank in, I could've died had I not taken that leap of faith into the air as the car hurdled towards me. I was the only one unharmed in the whole fiasco. All I wanted to do now was go home, and hug my family and tell them how much I loved them.
Another hour or so of enduring extreme cold, wind chill and exhaustion had passed before my tow truck started heading out, and gave me a ride home. I spent the rest of the night crying with my family and praising God for the life He has blessed me with, and the soul He entrusted to me.
Folks, all this to say, cherish everything and everyone that matters to you. But most important, cherish Life itself, your life, and the life others. For you will never realize the value of life until you value the life of others.
I'm still shaking as I type, but I felt it was important to share my experience with all of you as a way for me to come to terms and to deal with it. All I can think about right now is "Why did I bother stopping?", "What was I doing taking the highway in such obviously dangerous conditions?", "Had I done things differently, would less poeple have been injured?", "Why am I unharmed, yet all the others were injured?" Anyway...
I want you all to consider this: there are no coincidences in life, a higher power IS at work in our lives and at every moment, whether you believe or not. Of this, I am certain beyond the shadow of a doubt.
I leave you with this for now, I need some time off to reflect and calm down. But rest assured, I will return to answer all your posts addressed to me and the questions I receive in PM, as God Wills.
Pick up the phone, call your loved ones, and tell them about one of the things which you appreciate in them.
Ok! Now i feel like an old man rambling on! So I will close with these sayings from the two people I admire most and who've taught me everything:
God is not merciful to him who is not so to humankind. He who is not kind to God's creation and to his own children, God will not be kind to him. --Prophet Muhammad
Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. --Jesus Christ
Then a whale swallowed him (Jonah) and he had done an act worthy of blame. Had he not been of them who glorify God, he would have indeed remained inside its belly till the Day of Resurrection. Qur'an 37:142-144