Do you ever reflect on moments in your childhood where you could have lost everything from one event? Well I had one haunting memory in particular. Looking back now, I feel like I had an angel watching over me and my parents that day cause things could have turned out a lot worse than they did.
My mom, step dad Eddie, their friend John, his girlfriend, our two dogs and I were going on a trip to Mt Limantour Beach. As a kid, John was one of favorite friends of my parents. He was always smiling, had a kind heart and I loved listening to him playing music with Eddie. So right before we got ready to go on trip, I asked if I could go with John and his girlfriend in his VW bus. We followed behind my parents in their 4 wheel drive 1969 Chevy Suburban that my step dad called the “Tahoe Express.” He had made the suburban into a camper with beds, sink, heater and built in ice chest.
The trip was going great until all of a sudden I saw my parents vehicle go off the side of the road and my mom fly in the air. I remember feeling like I was in complete shock. Is this really happening or just a dream? Tears came flowing down my cheeks. Are my parents alive? I was so so scared.
All I can remember today is that we pulled over to the side of the road, seeing an ambulance and hugging my parents once I saw they were okay. I think my mom flew out the sunroof but I will never know for sure if that is what happened. We think our dog Bozo climbed out…dogs are pretty resilient. And I think both Eddie and our dog Vino climbed out of the car.
They were taken to Marin General for minor scratches and injuries. Eddie needed some stitches. I wonder to this day if I had an angel watching over us. What would have happened if I had been in the car too? Would I have survived? The injuries could have been way worse for my parents and they could have gone off a steeper part of the embankment. I am so thankful they survived that accident and will always remember that day. A day that could have ended in major tragedy, but they walked out alive.