Shocking News

Sunday September 15

Today was a sleep-in day for both of us and we got under way about 7:30 and walked through more Meseta about 16 miles from Terradillos de los Templarios to Calzadilla de los Hermanillos.  The last two hours were the slog.  We both selected sound tracks from our  ipads to accompany the wonderful scenery.

     Sunrise

     Pink sunrise sky with pilgrims

     Grazing sheep

     Our day's destination

     Out out window today - we have screens!

Last night as I was just turning off my phone (I was emailing our NZ and Aussie friends to find out where they were), I got an email from my brother-in-law, John saying that my sister Hildy was in the trauma center at Duke University hospital.  I called John and my sister, Kate and learned that she was in a head-on collision on a two-lane road.  Apparently the approaching traffic stopped to make a left hand turn and the car behind tried to pass and ran into Hildy.

John was following on his motorbike because they were dropping his bike off at the shop.  Fortunately he was at the scene immediately.  The whole driver's side of the car was smashed in and it took about 20 minutes to get her out of the car.  She is still in a coma tonight and surgery for her left leg and elbow are scheduled for Monday morning (if she is stable enough).  Her left shoulder will also need surgery and the doctors have advised that she will have a long recovery.

This is ghastly and shocking news and I feel so helpless being so far away.  I am two days walk from Lyon where I will make a decision to go to Durham or not.  Right now it is a waiting game and I will walk and pray.  I also ask for any and all prayers for her recovery.  Hildy and John's son, Brian and his wife are there now and have been reading to her so she can hear their voices.  Their other son, Sloan, is arriving from Vienna on Tuesday and John's brother and Kate will come later this week to spot John's vigil at the hospital.

Sloan will be in Durham until I return and I am hoping that by then she will need me to help her with rehab - that is my prayer.

My angel card today was 'compassion' and all of my thoughts today were in compassion for the suffering that this tragic accident has brought.  I know we are not the only ones who have gone through something like this - it does hit one in the stomach full force.  When I think of compassion, I think about kindness - that we can't help but to be kind when we can tune into the feelings of others.  The world needs more of this.