A life of near misses...

There have been many times in my life that I just barely get out of something that could cause fatal harm. Many times that I change my mind at the last minute. Many times when things just take their own course that is just too close to something bad.
I think about it and I feel lucky. It makes me feel like someone is watching out for me.
I am very thankful that I just get close. Close enough to know I am lucky, close enough to look back and thank god.
There was a time that I went to my friend's beach house with her and her family. We went in 2 cars. As we were leaving I was going in her mom's car. At the last second my friend and I decided to get in her dad's car because he let us control the music. On the way back her mother got into an accident. She was hurt bad and her brother died. I am thankful I did not get in that car.
Many years ago I was out with my friends. We decided to go to the movies. We bought our tickets and were in line to enter the theater. While I was waiting I decided I missed spending time with my family. I decided to not see the movie and to go home. During that movie the theater caught on fire. Some people died, some people were burnt, most people suffered from inhaling the smoke. I am thankful I did not watch the movie that day.
Six years ago I was on my way to visit family. I got on the plane and enjoyed the flight. I arrived and a few hours later 4 planes were hijacked. The date was September 11th, 2001. I am thankful that I chose the earlier flight.
A while back I was staying at my grandmother's house. I woke up early and got dressed because I had a lot of errands to run. I drank my coffee and sat with my grandmother. I decided to have a second cup of coffee and to spend a little more time listening to her stories. I figured it was early and my first errand was only 5 minutes away. I left my house and jumped in a cab. At my destination it was utter chaos. A bomb had exploded there minutes earlier. I am thankful I drank that second cup of coffee.

Stories like these and the many others make me feel lucky. I like to think that someone or something is looking out for me.

Now I can add to this list the fact that I was almost paralyzed.
The day I went to the hospital was the day I was planning to drive up to New Jersey to visit family and spend the last few days before I returned to Egypt.
The doctor said that had I driven up to New Jersey I would have been paralyzed before I arrived. If not then, definitely before I got off the plane in Egypt. The nerve that was being pressed by the disc would not have been able to withstand that journey.
So, once again I am thankful that I went to the hospital.
There are a lot of tiny details to the surgery that just fell into place and had things happened even slightly different there might have been very negative consequences.

So.. I am thankful for a lot....