Perspective

It's almost Christmas, once again... And I'm so happy to be here!
It's strange how things change when seen from a different perspective...

I felt it was a big misfortune to have to change my car when (one month after I had spent 1200 euros to have it repaired in France) it broke down again, exactly the same way ..And obviously I decided not to waste another 1200 Euros in a repair that probably wouldn't last. I decided (very reluctantly) to change it, as with what I had spent in repairs in 5 years I could have bought a nice new car anyway. I guess I was a most unhappy new-car buyer; usually people are happy when they buy a new car, but I wished so much I could have avoided it!

But I didn't know what would follow... A few weeks ago, I barely avoided a very serious accident, and that was only thanks to my new car. Without it (and its better lights, its better brakes, all its electronic things that did the right things at the right time) I wouldn't have been able to avoid the big load that was dropped (at night, on the highway, while driving at 120 km/h) by a truck right before me. I'm sure I'm alive just because I've changed my car right in time (it had arrived just two weeks before!), and what looked like a big misfortune was actually probably the best thing that could happen to me! Nobody was hurt (my daughter was with me, and that was surely the worst scare in her life, like it was in mine....) and the car wasn't even scratched... I couldn't believe it.

This year, while I was putting ornaments on our Christmas tree with my daughter, I was very aware that if it hadn't been for an unlikely (and unwelcomed) chain of events, I wouldn't have been there... (Which applies to all of us, I'm sure, but we usually tend not to think about it  unless Death passes very close...)
One looks at life from a different perspective after such kind of things..Even queuing at the post office becomes pleasant when you remember you could have been dead instead!

Well, my tree is finished! It's small, because it was bought for a smaller apartment, and it's not one of those fancy tres they sell in trendy shops, all in one colour, very beautiful and perfect... Most of the ornaments (and they are _a lot!!_) have a story, they were made by my children, or are gifts, or maybe are things that were not meant to be a Christmas tree ornament but we decided they would fit...I'm sure lots of the ornaments would look like rubbish to many people, but we get a lot of fun to take them out every year and comment on them! (Which is probably the point of making a Christmas tree, after all...).

Comments

Smithy said…
lovely blog entry!
Unknown said…
You're right, a Xmas tree should be a family-tree, with a story behind the ornaments. I like to add something to my tree each year, and I like to remember the friends who gave me some ornaments. My kids say that "there are too much things" but I think that they are never too much :-)
P.S. By the way, I'm *very* happy that you were "here" to make your tree! {hugs}
Gail said…
What a story, Elena! You remind us of how what seems to be a negative moment in our lives often serves to support us in the absolute best way. You were meant to have that new car!

I wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas with many blessings...
Elena said…
Thanks everybody! And my best wishes for a very merry Christmas to you and your families!