A Sad, Sad Day

It was the first day of Thanksgiving break.  Shawn and I were tired and decided to just take the family out to eat - something we almost never do.  Well, it ended up being a bad idea.  Dinner was fine, the kids sort of behaved themselves.  Everyone was fed and we headed home.  Well, as were driving up 39th south and going through the intersection on 9th east, a teenage driver plowed into the side of our car.  

(I'm not sure, but I'm guessing that she was busy texting or doing something that clearly had her eyes somewhere other than on the road.)  She took out the entire driver's side of the car.  Neither door would open. (Neither door was actually quite in place at the end of it.)  Shawn and I watched as she came at us, not slowing down or doing anything to avoid the collision.  Shawn moved out of the way as much as he could, but there wasn't really anywhere for him to go.  Fortunately, no one was injured, and we definitely could have been.  (We have played through all of the possible scenarios several times.)  Amelia got whacked pretty good by Duffy's car seat and had bruises on her head, cheek and arm, but considering the possibilities, that's not so bad.  There was lots of crying and stuff, but at least in Duffy's case, we were relieved to find out that she was crying because she lost her lemonade in the collision and not because she was physically hurt.

But still, I loved my car.  I went from relief and gratitude for everyone's safety to anger and frustration at the other driver.  I just wonder if she has any idea what she could have done to us, or any idea of what she did do to us.  If she has any idea what it means for us to lose our car and have to get a new one.  (Yes, we get insurance money because it was her fault, but the monetary value of our 11 year old car does not match what it takes to get a new car.)  How sad we were to have to give up our red car.  Really, we looked and looked, but they just don't make red suburbans anymore.   I just got really angry.  Didn't even want to shop for a new, stupid car.  So mad that we have to pick up a car payment. So mad that it was only a few weeks ago that I mentioned to Shawn that I planned to drive this car until it either fell apart or we didn't need it anymore.  Well, it has definitely fallen apart now.  So, of course, as things go, it was my week to teach Relief Society and I figured I should take a look at my lesson.  When I opened the book and read "Of you it is required to forgive,"  I just thought to myself, "You have got to be kidding me!"  That was a tough lesson to teach.  But I am moving on.  I will always be sad about losing my big red car, and so will the kids, but I'm trying not to carry that anger with me forever.

Shawn took some pictures for me when he went to get all of our stuff out of it.

From this angle it looks fine.  That's how I'll have to think of it.

I'm trying to get used to the the black Yukon that we have now, but it just isn't the same.  There are a million of them and I've already tried to open the doors of the wrong car once.  Eventually, I'm sure I will grow to at least like this new car all right, but it may take some time.  Good bye to Clifford, the Big Red Car.