Thankfulness

We are back from our vacation, somewhat frazzled and dispirited.

We were having a very fine holiday, enjoying very fine weather and very fine autumn colours. On one drive-about things changed when we slowed down to pull off to the left. I was beginning to make the turn when I heard the squeal of brakes a second or less before we were hit. We were spun a 180 degrees onto the shoulder on the other side of the road. The back tire sank into the soft shoulder almost a foot deep, and we came to rest a hair's breath from the edge of the ditch. It wasn't a deep ditch, but I think if we had gone another few inches, it might have been enough to cause us to roll.

This is the photo of our car across the street, after we had moved it, and the other guy's car, which was still pointing in the direction in which both of us had been travelling. It shows where we came to rest although we had moved the car forward, away from the edge of the ditch, by this time.

Our car didn't look bad, but the other guy's Cady took quite a hit. However, after a long wait for the police and then for him to complete the paperwork, we were both able to drive the rest of the way home.

The next day he, Dave, found out that the damage to his Cady was estimated to be $16 500 and that it wouldn't be repaired at that cost.

Meanwhile, our car looked pretty good on the outside, and it was drivable.  You see, he had more or less gone under our car, so it actually looked pretty good. It didn't look so fine, however, when I opened the trunk. When I saw how bent and crinkled it look, I worried about structural damage.

Almost a week later after having the car towed a long distance into Peterborough and then waiting days for the repair shop to get around to looking at it, my fears were confirmed. Write-off!

I am not thankful about this because the car was relatively low mileage for its age and good for another five years in my estimation. Of course, insurance will only offer what it would have been worth on the market, not what it is worth to us. This will create some financial pain for us as well as much inconvenience until we get it all sorted.

However, it could have been much worse. We could have rolled over. There could have been a car approaching in the oncoming lane. We could have been severely injured. None of this happened, and for this I am thankful on this our Thanksgiving Day in Canada.

I am thankful because it's been a good life, which hopefully isn't nearly over. My health has been good for the long run despite recent arthritic complaints, and I have been surrounded by a wonderful family.

Almost forty-five years ago, I married a marvellous woman. We are quite devoted to each other, and life has been good. This is a recent snapshot as she sat in our little porch a sewed this or that. Sue doesn't like the photo because it shows age lines, but I love her and her age lines. Very much. It pleases me that we have grown old together (although we are not really old yet — just not young), and the age lines remind me of our good life together.

This is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. Yesterday, we celebrated the usual turkey feast at the kids' house, enjoyed our time with family and those grandkids that I adore so much. Today is the official Thanksgiving Day, and I am thankful, for life is good.