“Just when the caterpillar thought its life was over, it became a butterfly.” –Anonymous
Three years ago today, lying on the median of I-10, I didn’t think I’d live long enough to see the helicopters I heard in the distance, let alone the unexplainable beauty of the years to follow. It’s no longer hard for me to believe so much time has passed. Though my memories remain vivid down to the finest detail, it doesn’t feel like yesterday. My family and I have come so far; from the neurosurgeon who indifferently told my dad they were monitoring my brain injury following the initial conference about my extensive injuries to me summering in the northeast of France on a chemistry internship.
It took years to rebuild- from speech to cognitive behavioral therapy. Externally all that remains are a handful of scars on the right side of my body and a pupil that’s slightly bigger than the other one.
Car accidents as severe as mine was tend to end in one of two ways: everyone walks away or people die. We flipped into the grey area.
It was the most perfect Strasbourg morning I’ve seen yet on the trip. I only needed a light sweater to bike to work and the sun’s been out. I stopped in the Orangerie this morning to admire the swans floating in the pond
and observe all the French children enjoying their half-school-day mornings. When I got into work I checked the protection reaction I’d left to run overnight. Dinesh came to look at my TLC plate and I started talking about what was wrong first and he said smiled and said, “so what you’re saying is it worked.”
My love-hate relationship with the Dean-Stark apparatus was mostly love today.
As far as I’m concerned, today is a day of celebration. Tonight, I’m going to a Winstub (traditional Alsatian “wine room”) in downtown Strasbourg for regional and classic French cuisine.
No quality celebration is complete without champagne. Therefore, I’m going to the Champagne region of France this weekend where the Benedictine monk, Dom Pierre Pérignon, put a sparkle in his wine. ‘Duh’ statement of the day: I’m rather excited.
Had my life ended that day, I never would have:
- Had an audience with the President and various senators of note
- Spoken at graduation
- Started to bleed burnt orange
- Heard the magic that is Kanye West “Gold Digger” and “Stronger”
- Spent last summer listening to Mozart and walking in the footsteps of Jane Austen
- Gazed at shooting stars in West Texas with the Dean’s Scholars
- Become obsessed with Sex and the City
- Seen two Christmases or two birthdays
- Fallen dangerously in love
- Jim Halpert would cease to exist in my mind
- Discovered that organic chemistry wasn’t so scary
- So much more…
All things I take for granted as a part of my life that never would have been had it ended in 2005.
It’s been a good day. Today kind of felt like a “secret” birthday.
Elaine
Three years ago today, lying on the median of I-10, I didn’t think I’d live long enough to see the helicopters I heard in the distance, let alone the unexplainable beauty of the years to follow. It’s no longer hard for me to believe so much time has passed. Though my memories remain vivid down to the finest detail, it doesn’t feel like yesterday. My family and I have come so far; from the neurosurgeon who indifferently told my dad they were monitoring my brain injury following the initial conference about my extensive injuries to me summering in the northeast of France on a chemistry internship.
It took years to rebuild- from speech to cognitive behavioral therapy. Externally all that remains are a handful of scars on the right side of my body and a pupil that’s slightly bigger than the other one.
Car accidents as severe as mine was tend to end in one of two ways: everyone walks away or people die. We flipped into the grey area.
It was the most perfect Strasbourg morning I’ve seen yet on the trip. I only needed a light sweater to bike to work and the sun’s been out. I stopped in the Orangerie this morning to admire the swans floating in the pond
and observe all the French children enjoying their half-school-day mornings. When I got into work I checked the protection reaction I’d left to run overnight. Dinesh came to look at my TLC plate and I started talking about what was wrong first and he said smiled and said, “so what you’re saying is it worked.”My love-hate relationship with the Dean-Stark apparatus was mostly love today.
As far as I’m concerned, today is a day of celebration. Tonight, I’m going to a Winstub (traditional Alsatian “wine room”) in downtown Strasbourg for regional and classic French cuisine.
No quality celebration is complete without champagne. Therefore, I’m going to the Champagne region of France this weekend where the Benedictine monk, Dom Pierre Pérignon, put a sparkle in his wine. ‘Duh’ statement of the day: I’m rather excited.
Had my life ended that day, I never would have:
- Had an audience with the President and various senators of note
- Spoken at graduation
- Started to bleed burnt orange
- Heard the magic that is Kanye West “Gold Digger” and “Stronger”
- Spent last summer listening to Mozart and walking in the footsteps of Jane Austen
- Gazed at shooting stars in West Texas with the Dean’s Scholars
- Become obsessed with Sex and the City
- Seen two Christmases or two birthdays
- Fallen dangerously in love
- Jim Halpert would cease to exist in my mind
- Discovered that organic chemistry wasn’t so scary
- So much more…
All things I take for granted as a part of my life that never would have been had it ended in 2005.
It’s been a good day. Today kind of felt like a “secret” birthday.
Elaine
PS: This was my dinner last night.... crepes are the best.
The moon coming up on my way home from dinner...which was excellent by the way.
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7 comments:
I love you, Baby Girl. You are living proof that prayers are answered.
So glad you had a perfect day. Makes all the hard work worth every minute. It does my heart good to hear about your "secret birthday" celebration.
Keep the storyline and pictures coming. Lovin every minute of it ....
Ok. I've already gained about 10 lbs just looking at those photos of crepes and bread and butter and cheese and wine, etc. Ooops. Maybe it's because I just got home from Vegas tonight! I haven't even checked my email yet. I had to see the blog first. It was wonderful as always. You brought up the sad memories, but like you quoted - a caterpiller became a butterfly.
elaine...i know i haven't seen you much this past year...but know that i care about you.
i felt such mixed emotions while reading this post! mostly happy thoughts...but man...you are one strong woman! you've come so far, it's mind-boggling. :)
I commented earlier on this entry, but it hasn't shown up. Are you approving them, or did I just goof up? Probably the latter. I'll check back later, don't want to submit a double entry.
susan: It's user error. Happened to me the fist time I tried to post a comment. Think I hit preview rather than post. I vanished .....
Sooo wish I could go to that park with you :(. Glad you're enjoying it and thank God for keeping you here! MANY years to go :)
I don't think you take all of those things for granted ;). But it is definitely good to stop and take a moment to appreciate them all.
Amen to your mom's comment.
-LL
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