This week, my husband was hit by a train. Not a metaphorical train. A real one.
He was simply on his way home from Lowe's. It was late, after 9:30. He crossed at an unmarked railroad crossing, having looked and not seen the train. Apparently the train was so darn close it was invisible in the dark.
One second earlier and I would have been a widow, as the slow moving train would have plowed right into the driver side and crushed my dear husband as it dragged the car along the tracks. Instead, the train just clipped the back of the car, tore off the rear bumper and made a mess of the back quarter panel.
I've tried to puzzle out the meaning of this. I don't come up with much except wow, I am very grateful, and wow - death really can happen at any time. We've seen that this week with tragedies of epic proportions in the news, and that doesn't include all the regular people dying all over the planet from disease, accidents, old age, etc. who don't make it into the endless media cycle.
We so want to believe we have time. Lots of time. Plenty of time. Maybe we do, maybe we don't.
So what's the answer?
For me, it is to get as present as I can. Not later, but now.
Especially with those I love. Put down the phone. Look in their eyes. Really listen. Be awake and amazed at this wonder of being human together.