Thursday, August 02, 2007

What if...


My husband says that when he was little, he was very afraid of bridges. When his family would travel over the river bridge near here, he would duck down into the footwell of the car until they were safely over.

That's the mental picture that I'm struggling with this morning, as the news about the Minneapolis bridge collapse comes in over the TV. When we saw the first breaking report last night on the internet, my husband said, "I've been over that bridge several times! I've been right there!" That stretch of road is between the airport and the sections of the city where he had his business classes.

It brings a special new horror to an already horrific event. My husband could have been there. Of all the things I've worried about when he went to Minnesota for business trips, it never occured to me to worry about the bridges. (Oh, it will now, yes.)

Amidst my sorrow for the families who are hurting this morning, and the everyday mundanities that command my attention here at home, this image keeps flashing through my mind. My husband, who looked quite a bit like my little boy, ducked down into the bottom of his parent's car, and my husband, as he left for work this morning; healthy and strong and alive. Instead of absolute relief for that fact, I find that I have to repeat to myself...

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. - II Timothy 1:7

2 comments:

JAM said...

I generally hate scary, or what are supposed to be, scary movies, but one I have watched a couple of times because it was semi true was The Mothman Prophecies. People in an area of Ohio/West Virginia were "told" by some mysterious voice and apparition that something bad was going to happen and the date it foretold was the day a bridge over the Ohio river collapsed and killed 35 people.

It's awfully hard not to clutch and keep hold of those we love. As if keeping them in our sight could magically keep anything from happening to them.

Qtpies7 said...

It is really hard not to let fear grip us. This is the road Donnie takes to work every day, and the road we take to visit his sister and brother. Thankfully Donnie doesn't have to go that far on 35W to get to work, but we have to find a new route for his family.
I'm still waiting to hear if anyone we know was on there. So far nothing. I haven't had the heart to blog about it.