Blessed…

Last week was my first business trip since the beginning of summer. Our team took July off from travel which was a nice break. As much as I do not love the travel part, I do enjoy being with my team members once I’m on the ground. So, I welcomed the visit to Denver last week.

I arrived on Sunday evening and headed into the office on Monday. Monday night I celebrated my son’s 27th birthday with him, his girlfriend and best friend. Such a nice dinner together. Tuesday after the office was our team dinner and then Wednesday I had the opportunity to meet up with a good friend.

Thursday morning I was on a plane back home. I generally have internet connectivity on the plane. The only downside is that I have an iPhone and can only received text messages from other Apple products. Droid does not get through. I’m sitting on the plane, about an hour into a 3-hour flight and I receive a text from my daughter’s friend asking me if she’s doing okay. ???

When I respond with concern and let her know that I’m in flight she quickly apologizes and lets me know Kenz has been in a car accident. If I could have shoved the pilot over and taken over the controls in that moment to arrive home faster, trust me, I would have.

When we finally land and I can receive messages from everyone, I text my husband who tries to calm me down. Kenz is fine…they are about to be released from the trauma unit at the main downtown hospital and she is okay. Sore, but okay. That somehow doesn’t calm me down.

My bff picks me up from the airport and home we go. By the time we arrive, Kenzie and Frank are home and she’s icing her shoulder. She looks okay, and is strangely calm being that she’s the one in the family that runs to high anxiety.

Then I see the picture of the wreck.

She was traveling east on a main road in Charlotte and was T-Boned by a driver coming out of a side road trying to turn left. As she tried to swerve her car lost its balance and flipped, landing on the roof.

My heart pretty much stopped.

The airbag did not deploy in her 18 year old Jeep. And looking at it, I think it may have been a blessing. I think as short as she is it may have caused more damage than good had it deployed.

Her shoulders and lap are bruised and sore from hanging upside down in the seatbelt. That seems, for now, to be the worst of it.

Blessings felt for sure.

Once we all settled down and Kenzie was resting, Frank and I started talking. Kenzie is now without a car. Clearly the insurance would total Tina (her named Jeep). And total her they did.

Looking at cars that Kenzie might be able to afford on her starting salary for her first real career job was pretty sad. Most were over 10 years old, had more than 150,000 miles and were still pricing at around $15,000. Though she has some credit built, at today’s interest rates on a used car, that’s likely a $400 or more dollar payment each month for a car that will very likely require expensive repairs along the way to keep it running. UGH!

So, Frank and I decided the better choice was to sell her our car, the Tangerine Dream. Our 2014 tangerine colored Subaru. Still 10-years old, but in great shape with only 90,000 miles on it. It blue books at around $12 – $14,000. We sold it to her for $10,000. With the $$ from her Jeep she only owes around $6K and that makes her payments reasonable.

Frank and I reminisced about our first cars and first car payments. I think Frank picked up a salvage title and I bout a brand new Ford Escort with payments around $250 for 48-months. Not even in the realm of possibilities today. It’s ridiculous.

And even with that, there were months I scrimped on food and social outtings because I was flat-out broke. But I made the payments on that car — every single one. And I appreciated having it.

And Kenzie is aware of all of the above, and is thankful we are able to help. She’s such a kind and considerate young adult. She feels bad that we in turn had to take on a car payment. I appreciate her feelings.

Blessings that we are in a position to help.

So, what did we buy?

Frank and I started looking at cars about a year ago knowing either way, Tina was on her last legs and that we likely would be in this position at some point.

We wanted something with a little more comfort, a little more handling, a little more fun.

We looked at all the brands – Volvo, Audi, BMW, Mazda, etc.

We landed on an Audi Q5 Sport. And oh is she fun.

Haven’t named her yet, but she fits like a glove. She’s Daytona Gray (charcoal and metallic in color) outside and Okapi brown (cognac) inside. She has ever bell and whistle we could want and we got her for a pretty decent price as she had only 4,000 miles on her…a gently used 6-month dealer lease. Timing is everything.

In the end, I would keep the Subaru 100 times over to not have my daughter experience the trauma of the accident she was in. I am thankful she has walked away from it relatively well. I’m still waiting for the shoe to drop and other pains starting to crop up. But until then, I will continue to count the multiple blessings we’ve experienced through this time.

I am thankful for the protection God provided to her on Thursday when she was hit. I am thankful I arrived from my flight safe and sound, and slightly ahead of schedule. I am thankful my best friend moved here and was able to pick me up from the airport and distract me a bit on our way home. I am thankful for a husband who works from home and was able to be there to hold our daughter’s hand. And I am thankful for the jobs that have provided for us in a way that makes solving the residual problems from the accident possible.

Blessings galore for sure.