Who You Are

We get so precious and few moments in life to find out, when things are at their worst, who we really, truly are.

I know who Mandi Pope is.

When she was in a car wreck in 2006, after she was pulled out and strapped on a gurney, just before being put in the wagon demanded to see the boy who'd hit her.  A seventeen year old child.  He was in tears.

She took his hand in her bloody one and said, "please don't cry, I'm okay.  The damage got done to shit, we can replace shit."  

Okay, so Mandi Pope curses a little.  

The point was...  when life was at it's worst for her, she was STILL able to be compassionate.  And I think knowing that I can maintain that, even when times are bad, says a lot for me.

And she didn't stop there.

Actually, she did.  She stopped right there.  She never sued for pain and suffering.  Or for the loss of her police career.  She just asked for her bills to be paid.  They were.  And that was all she asked for.

When it was incredulously demanded of her why she didn't sue, she said, "Why?  What's the point in ruining his life financially?  What I want is those three seconds back before the crash.  Nothing you can give me will give me THAT back.  So let's just shake hands and call it a day.  I'm not going to hurt others because I'm hurt.  That's not how my Mama and Daddy raised me."

And I hope to God when he heard that, my father up in Heaven ribbed God with his elbow and said, "you see that?!  That's my baby!"

I think one of my most treasured phone calls was that boy's mother.  She called before I got out of Trauma Bay, and left a message; thank you for being so good to my son.  We will never forget you.

I'll never forget you, either.  Your son gave me a great gift; he gave me the chance to see who I really, truly am.  A thousand years as a police officer couldn't give me what Ian did.

I survived and made a new life.  The fact I survived is a miracle.  But so is the fact that he hit me in the first place.   Some would say that was an accident; I don't believe in those.  Some would go so far as to call what happened to me a tragedy; I'd prefer not to see it like that.  I gained so much given what little I lost.  What happened that cold December morning was a miracle, pure and simple, and I figure there are two ways to see that day...  to see EVERYTHING...  you can see it as nothing in life is a miracle...

Or choose to see it like Mandi Pope does...  Everything IS.

God love you as much as I do.

Mandi Pope