Today my family and I were involved in a frightening car accident. A truck essentially made a U-turn in front of us and in my husband’s effort to swerve out of the way, the truck drove into our car. Then the truck continued skidding along the passenger side of the car, where me and my stepdaughter were sitting. That Baby (yeah, yeah, I know…three year olds aren’t “babies” per se…but..) was in his car seat in the center in the back seat.

When the front of the truck hit my door the glass in my window exploded, in and out. As it continued along the rear passenger door it trapped my stepdaughter in the back seat. She said “All I remember is hearing daddy’s horn and then looking up and seeing the front of the truck in my window.” There is white paint from the truck on window.

We are all fine. This could have been much, much worse and it was truly an accident. Although, some would say there are no accidents and this may have in fact happened for a reason.

After the initial impact I immediately turned to the kids and was taken over by an intense need to protect as well as an overwhelming vulnerability. Much like I am sure anyone would.

But the main reason I am writing this is because in that same moment I was reminded of how much I love my stepdaughter. I have known her since she was nine years old and she is now sixteen.

I remember the summer when she started to glide awkwardly into her teens as my own stomach grew with my first birth child and I stumbled awkwardly into pregnancy.

She has always been prone to nightmares and I have always crawled in bed with her in the middle of night to comfort her. The last time she woke up scared, I was seven months pregnant and I crawled into a suddenly VERY small bed. I kind of miss that now. Now I crawl in bed with That Baby and that is good too.

From the very beginning I have always tried to let her know that she is as important to me as any child of my own. I can only hope that she knows. And today I was reminded of how much I consider her my own.

During those shocking moments directly after this event I wished that I was some sort of super mother bird who could spread my wings of steele (I understand the weight issue presented by steele wings) and wrap my children in cocoon of safety.