Exhaling

Life has been a blur since the car accident ten days ago. In one sense it feels as though it was ages ago. Although not much has happened in between then and now, it seems like there have been a zillion things keeping me busy. If I wasn't attempting to stay on top of everything, I was trying to restore myself to a normal state of being. It's been crazy, yet I wasn't seriously hurt, which would have really created chaos.

Tomorrow I take ownership of the new-to-me car, which largely brings this intensive period of telephone calls, research, and form completion to an end. The process has been tiring enough. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm due for a bit of a collapse once the stress of the situation dissipates.

Despite the pains, both literal and metaphorical, I am reminded that there are things big and small for which I should be grateful. Let's begin:

-Kind words and helping hands

Whether expressions of concern came from people I know or those I "know", I've appreciated them, especially when they were coupled with advice to get thee to a doctor to make sure I was all right. Considering that I was wobbly for a week or so after the crash, my judgment that I was fine wasn't entirely accurate. Assistance in the form of a needed ride or advice on navigating this process may not seem like much, but from my end these things were valuable to receive.

-A job that permitted me to handle all this with minimal interruption

If I had a regular job, I don't know how I would have been able to take care of everything in such a timely manner. I've definitely put in my time trying to keep up with work, but I am fortunate that I wasn't in a deeper hole or had a boss on my case about being absent physically or mentally.

-My dad

OK, so he was being a little aggravating in wanting to keep exploring potential car purchase options after I knew I had exhausted them all, but it was helpful to have another perspective on the decisions I was making as I searched for another vehicle.

-The Winter Olympics

For those times when I was able to lay down and rest, I took solace in vegging out to the various international athletic competitions. Hooray for unchallenging, enjoyable, and worthwhile viewing.