Yesterday, my 86-year-old mom reminded me why she's my hero. If there's one thing everyone can agree on about my mom, it's that she never hesitates to help someone. But, yesterday, she went above and beyond.
My 67-year-old brother-in-law has gone back to work since retiring. It helps him and my sister out financially and...he was not a happy camper hanging around the house all day. He can't drive the big rigs he loves...that would interfere with his pension. So he makes deliveries for an auto supply. And yesterday, he had a headache. Knowing my sister and mother would be driving within blocks of his work, he asked my sister to drop off some aspirin.
They did and made a left turn onto Lobdell (in Baton Rouge), heading north. Just as they turned a little white car zoomed up behind them, traveling way too fast and moved to the right lane and passed them. A block later, as they approached the light, that white car plowed into a larger car turning left. The impact sent the white car spinning toward my mom and sister.
My sister turned to Mom and said, "Brace yourself, we're going to be hit!" They waited but the impact did not come. The car had stopped on inches away.
Within an instant, Mom was out of the car and giving directions. The white car was smoking. She had my sister and several other cars back up. She ran to the driver's door and tried to open it. It wouldn't budge. She reached through the window, unlocked the door and tried again. This time it opened, but only a few inches.
All the while she's giving instructions and calming the woman behind the wheel and the little boy in the car with her:
It's gonna be OK.
Unfasten your seat belt.
Sweetie, go over to the sidewalk.
She tried with all her might to get that door open but every time the woman took her foot off the brake, the car would start rolling. Mom spotted a man watching them and motioned for him to help. He got the emergency brake set and applied enough force to that door for it to open. Mom helped the lady away from the smoking car and stuck around to give a statement to police.
And while my sister wishes Mom would have stayed in the car and minded her own business - heck, she would prefer Mom not even give her name as a witness - I'm so proud of her. I hope and pray that when I'm her age, I have half her energy and gumption!
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This week we had icy roads which caused cars to skid out of control on one highway. A woman whose car had ended up in the ditch got out of her car to offer assistance to someone whose car had rolled over. She was hit and killed by an additional car that lost control. The State Patrol here said that the best thing to do on a highway accident is to stay in your car. I still don't know if I could and hopefully I won't ever have to find out.
Your mom is a pistol! I want to be like her!
This week we had icy roads which caused cars to skid out of control on one highway. A woman whose car had ended up in the ditch got out of her car to offer assistance to someone whose car had rolled over. She was hit and killed by an additional car that lost control. The State Patrol here said that the best thing to do on a highway accident is to stay in your car. I still don't know if I could and hopefully I won't ever have to find out.
Your mom is a pistol! I want to be like her!
Good for your mother, esp the waiting around for the cops part. I'm appalled at how many people don't want to get involved even when they know someone was in the wrong.
wow! I want to be like her, too!
Good for your Mom! And great to have such inspiration!
What a woman your mom is! And what I wouldn't give to have her kind of gumption. Now I know where you get it.
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