Remembering

Today as I was waiting at a red light at an intersection, traffic in all directions was halted by an approaching ambulance.  As I heard the sirens and watched the flashing lights drive past, I was reminded of a day in my life that changed who I was forever.  The morning that I was taken in an ambulance after falling to the floor of my apartment for an unknown reason.  The day I had a stroke.

Sometimes an ambulance or emergency vehicle passes by me and I don't give it a second thought.  Other times, like today, I have flashbacks of that morning.  I remember not being able to communicate with my parents over the phone.  I remember strangers practically breaking in the door to get to me.  I remember going in and out of consciousness in the ambulance.  I remember waking up in the ER, seeing a bright light, and hearing the voices of angels calling my name.

It's sometimes hard for me to remember my recovery time in the hospital, it's all a blur, but I will never forget that morning.

Today those memories played over and over in my head.  For many months, possibly years, after my stroke, I tried to push those memories out of my head.  I didn't want to remember.  But I now realize, that those memories have greatly shaped me into the person that I today.

They're memories that are very hard for me to rehash and hard for me to share.  But every once in awhile, they come to mind.  At those times, it is very plain to see that life can change in an instant and we should never take a minute of it for granted.