Discovery on an Icy Bridge
Adapted from Unlikely Teachers: Finding the Hidden Gifts in Daily Conflict, by Judy Ringer
Driving home late one night during the first snow of the season, I hit a patch of ice on a slippery bridge and struck the barrier that separates the bridge from the air and the water. I careened off one side of the bridge, slid across three lanes of Interstate 95, and scraped along the barrier on the opposite side.
Luckily there weren’t any other cars nearby.
As I slid on the frozen surface, my first awareness was fear. Then, as the car connected with the barrier, I was jolted into a powerfully present state of being. What flashed through my mind was: I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m going to be here for it.
Then, deep calm, peace, and presence....