Sometimes it takes an Auto Accident...

Last Saturday morning while driving my car through surprisingly light LA traffic on my way to a favorite hiking destination; I stopped at a red light. My head was a bit sleepy and my thoughts mellow as I innocently began my day. Seemingly out of nowhere came an extremely loud crash which brought my attention front and center as I then noticed a car heading right for me spinning out of control. My natural reaction was to duck down as glass and small debris rained down as the car narrowly missed me by inches. It seemed to be over as quickly as it started. Then things got even more interesting…in a really good way.

Although it’s cliché to say that “life is short and that we should embrace it with gusto because tomorrow is promised to no one”…it can be really easy to overlook that fact as we lead our busy lives. My experience this morning provided a stark reminder that as cliché as the “life is short” statement is…it’s 110% true and things CAN change in an instant. That is why it is so important to truly love and enjoy every moment that we can. But with that being said…sometimes we need an experience to really shake us up to point ourselves back to the present moment. I wonder if that was the case for the two drivers involved in the crash. I also wondered if this was a wake-up call for them to modify or tweak their present circumstances. I certainly know that I have had my fair share through the years. That is the beauty of life…we are here to learn and grow and there are so many different facilitators to aid in our growth process; parenthood, religion, war, economic status, environment, sexual preference, trauma and accidents just to name a few.

When I got out of my car to see if both drivers were ok…I began to “feel”. I felt their fear; I felt their anxiety and I felt their mortality. I also felt totally alive. By bearing witness to and almost being a part of their traumatic accident I began to feel at a much deeper level. Although this may sound crazy, it was an honor to bear witness to that and have myself opened up to feel at a much deeper level; something I have been working on lately. And by feeling their feelings… I was able to experience those same feelings housed inside of me.

Over the course of the next 30 minutes as emergency responders came and statements were given I felt very connected to humanity. It was very cathartic. As spiritual beings having a human experience we in truth are always connected…yet sometimes it takes a traumatic experience for us to really get out of our mind/ego state to truly let down our shields and allow that connection to flow through. It is our birthright and true nature to be connected. I give thanks that I was the one “placed” there to truly feel my feelings, be a calming influence for the drivers AND to be reminded of the connection that we all share.