Robyn.Bowles.es

Ten years ago I was in a car accident. The car I was in was totaled after a head-on collision with another car on a very icy road.

I remember being strapped to the backboard with my neck in a brace. I was unable to move and I was scared.

I remember distinctly the desire, the need, for ANYONE to notice me and my fear as I waited what seemed an eternity. To hold my hand and keep me company as I waited, strapped down on the gurney in the middle of the hallway. I remember the intense feeling of powerlessness, of not knowing what was happening, more than I can recall the pain I was feeling.

And then my friend Jessica came. What a relief that was! It was such a relief that only then was I able to burst into tears to express the fear I had been feeling, and my gratitude that she was there to be with me.

And now I imagine an orphan or a widow or an AIDS victim or a slave, lying much like I was – in bondage: unable to move, unaware of their surroundings and what is to come. They fear much more than a broken wrist or a short time of being alone. Theirs is a fear that accompanies a broken body, a broken spirit, a broken heart or dying alone and abandoned.

Even though I KNEW my friend was coming for me, I was still afraid. How much greater is the fear for those who have no hope of one to come and be at their side to attend to them, to hold their hand and give them comfort?

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