When You See BAD Things In Your Head

Today I picked Jari up from school for lunch. We were walking (well, he was running as usual) home on the sidewalk as always, and he was about 10 steps ahead of me. As we got to our driveway, a delivery truck had just pulled in. I just got a really bad feeling and screamed at Jari to STOP! He did, thank the heavens above. Just as he plowed to a stop, the truck started backing out of our driveway, without any possibility of seeing a lil 6 year old behind him. As he finally glanced out his window and saw us, he realized as well as me what could have happened. He apologized with his eyes through the window. But all I saw in my mind was my baby being squished by this driver that didn't bother looking before he started pulling out. I saw the funeral and my life without my son blur before my eyes...and it was not a pretty sight. I told Jari about the danger, and how even in our own driveway we have to be careful to watch for cars. I held him extra tight taking in his smell and his toothless smile. And I was shaking, thinking of how easily it could have been a dreadful accident. Luckily I was close enough to Jari to stop him, luckily my mama instinct kicked in and commanded me to scream, luckily my son just happened to listen. But it was a scary experience, and one which reminded me how precious life is, and how suddenly all that's good can be whisked away from you. I hope that delivery driver slowed down just a little this afternoon, I hope he also had those same visions of me of what could have been and realized that making that delivery is half as important as a human life. My son's human life, and one which I am grateful to have for another day.