The body heals but the heart and mind never forget

I remember the moment like it was yesterday when Tony walked into our house, a blank look on his face yet a sea of emotions in his eyes.  I remember saying to him, "What are you doing home?  Did you come home for lunch?"  His response was, "Troy called me and dad has been in an accident.  He was hauling equipment to the dealer and was hit by a semi.  We don't know anything except that he has been taken to Evansville."

For hours, the only information that we had was the picture below.  We didn't know if he was alive, what condition he was in, nothing...  When Troy arrived at the hospital, God placed him on the elevator with his dad who was being wheeled up to x-rays.  At least we knew that Jerry was alive, but we had no idea the extent of his injuries.

Jerry spent weeks in Evansville and then was transferred up to Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana in Indianapolis for more therapy and recovery.  Angels were with him that day.  There is no way he should have survived that accident.  When the semi hit him, he was thrown and hit the concrete on his side.  We think he had put his arm up to cover his head and protect him.  As a result he crushed several ribs, injured his shoulder and had sustained some damage to his brain.  But he was alive.  Yes, this 75 year old man was alive.  The doctors say that because of farming and the amount of muscle and strength that he had, not to mention that he didn't smoke, he would survive.  It was truly a miracle.

Here is a link to the accident:  http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/jun/20/no-headline---ev_princeton_crash/

We are so grateful to have him today.  He is not the same person that he was a year ago.  Physically he has healed but mentally still struggles with short term memory, articulating thoughts and other slight differences.  If you had never met the man, you wouldn't notice anything different about him. But we do.  Every time I see a farmer hauling or driving equipment on the road, I slow down.  They have earned that courtesy and for me to be extra cautious.  I just wish the semi that hit my father-in-law had done the same.

My world truly changed that moment of the accident.  I knew then, that where we needed to be was at the farm.  We needed to be with family.  I wasn't sure how we would make it happen, but I knew then and there that we would be moving to Vincennes.

In life, we are guaranteed only two things.  We are born and then we die.  What truly matters and what is up to us is what happens in the middle.  We can't live in the past.  All we can do is move forward and make each day count. Today, I am embracing my country life and grateful for it and the people in it.

The Hinkle Clan at my niece, Hannah's wedding this past October.  What a celebration! At the conclusion of this weekend, Tony and I began making plans for our move to Vincennes.