Thanksgiving Gift

It was Thanksgiving Day and Harriet Schmitt and her husband John were traveling from their home in Santa Barbara to spend the holiday and weekend with his parents in Chula Vista, California.  “We picked up our older daughter at the University of California, Irvine, on our way,” Harriet says. “When we arrived, my mother-in-law, Nora, had already started dinner.”

It had been a 4 ½ hour trip in the car, and Harriet wanted to stretch her legs.  “Would anyone be interested in going for a walk?” she asked.  There was plenty of time before other family members arrived and dinner was ready.

Everyone agreed except Harriet’s father-in-law, so the four went out.  They had been walking and chatting for about twenty minutes when they approached a stoplight, which was red.  “When the light turned green, we started across the street,” Harriet says.  “Suddenly, an out of control car came careening toward us.”  Everyone started to run across the street except Harriet. She simply froze.

Things seemed to happen in slow motion.  Harriet felt a hand grab hers, and pull her along, just inches from the car as it whooshed by.  Thank heavens Nora had been close enough to grab her!  The four reached the other side safely, while the car—which had run the red light and had a flat tire---turned the corner and kept on going.

Everyone walked home, almost in a daze of shock, and thanksgiving.  Later  they related their near-miss  to other members of the family.  “If it hadn’t been for Nora,” Harriet pointed out, “I would have been run over by that car.”

“What do you mean?” Nora asked.

“You grabbed me by the hand and pulled me away from the car and across the street,” Harriet answered, puzzled. Had Nora forgotten her act of courage?   Nora had a strange look on her face. “Harriet,” she said, “I never grabbed you.  I was ahead of you by a few feet, and I saw you running behind us as we reached the other side.”

Harriet’s husband and daughter both nodded.  “Gram was with dad and me,” Harriet’s daughter agreed. “We were all watching you as you made it across.  There was no one with you.”

No one?  Harriet wondered.  “I can only believe that my guardian angel prevented me from being hit by that car,” she says.  “And I was very thankful that Thanksgiving Day.”

(C) 2004  Joan Wester Anderson   www.joanwanderson.com