I have a fear of cars. More so, a fear of being in car accidents. This fear stems from being in 5th grade and my mother breaking her back in a car accident. My mother was not even driving the car she was in; she sat in the backseat of the car as it was hit by a drunk driver. The force of the collision caused the car my mother was in to spin and hit a tree, thereby smashing my mother in the backseat of the vehicle. I have heard they had to “saw” her out of the mangled mess. My mother was the only one hurt in this accident, and was in the hospital in Ohio (while my sister and I were in Virginia being taken care of by my mother’s boyfriend) for 8 months, staying in the living room (in a hospital bed that was rented) at her sister’s house. My mother had to have a cast put on her torso (with one hole cut out around the stomach area) for months. I can recall her attempting to reach inside the “hole” even further and further each time in order to reach that annoying itch. I can recall when she fist had the cast removed, and how she had to learn to walk all over again. I also recall walking with her (leg brace on, cane in hand) in public “malls”- people staring at her- me giving them evil “do you think my mother chose this” looks back. My mother no longer uses her cane to assist her in walking although she does have a very pronounced limp.

The thing I recall the most is that as bad as it was for her, I don’t remember her overly complaining or being depressed about her situation.

I am proud of the strength of my mom.