And Now, Joy and Relief

My last post was one of mourning, of grief and sadness for a wonderful life cut far too short. My heart still aches for Jesse's family, for his friends, and for our community. Ever so slowly, the wound is healing, but there is still a raw, jagged hole in the very fibres that entwine our small community.

Today though, I am rejoicing, praising God (and no, I'm not exactly religious), thanking the heavens, the creator, whatever higher power I can think of. For as Jesse was taken so fast, so early, a very close friend and her family were not.

I haven't yet touched on one of my passions here yet, so I better mention it briefly. I am a Child Restrains Systems Technician (CRST), or a "carseat tech", as it is more commonly known. I volunteer my time helping parents keep their children as safe as possible in their vehicles.

My friend Anne, is also a tech. Last week, they were in a horrific crash. Miraculously, Anne, her husband, and their three daughters escaped relatively unscathed, despite their van being destroyed. A crash that should, by all rights, have produced fatalities, instead resulted in one child with a broken leg, another with burns from ehr carseat, Anne having an injured neck and arm, and her husband, Jeff, with a bruised lung. That is it.

Anne's children were saved because she used her knowledge as a tech to ensure they were as safe as possible in their vehicle. Her older daughters were in harnessed carseats, properly installed and appropriate for their size. Her younger daughter, though well past the minimum age when facing forward is legal, was rear-facing. She was the only one who escaped the crash with NO injuries whatsoever. None. Nada. Zip. Zero. It brings home the message we techs are constantly trying to get across to parents: rear facing offers your child the best protection. I cannot say it enough: rear face your children to the limits of a CONVERTIBLE car seat, preferably one that fits children up to 40-45lbs. At no time should a child under two years of age be forward facing. Their tiny necks cannot handle the forces that are present in even a somewhat mild collision, and tragedies occur. My three (almost four) year old son still rides rear facing, quite happily.

Here is a link to the story of Anne's crash. I hope you will take a moment to read it and see for yourself just how important it is to ensure that EVERYONE in travelling in your vehicle is properly restrained - seat belts for the adults, and appropriate seats for the children. It is, truly, a matter of life and death.

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I am ever so thankful that Anne knew what she knew, and that their family was spared from what could have been far, far worse. I give thanks to whatever higher power was watching over them that night (we have our suspicions). I send love and healing strength to Anne, Jeff, and the girls. And I hug my own babies just a little bit tighter, then go out and check their seats just one more time. Because you just never know. You never know.