Monday, June 22, 2009

Subway train crash hits too close to home....

It was one of those surreal moments when my sister called this afternoon asking if I had heard about the horrific train crash in D.C. She had heard that the incident occurred between Takoma Park and the Fort Totten area.

My youngest son, Jeffrey, lives in Takoma Park, and takes this Red Line train back and forth to work every day.

Of course I immediately tried to get in touch with either him or his wife on their cells and at home. No answer on any of the phones.

I tried not to panic, but, as I watched the news on the television I was becoming more and more alarmed and concerned.

It was an agonizing few minutes before I finally heard from him--- Relief spread over me immediately just hearing his voice. It was the train that Jeffrey normally would have taken...but, he had to work a little late tonight so his wife just picked him up from his office when he was done.

To say that I was never happier to hear that he had to work late would be an understatement!

I was grateful and relieved as well as shaking with thoughts of what "might have been".

I then began to turn my thoughts to the less fortunate families of those killed and injured. My prayers go out to them as they try to make sense of this tragedy.

(As a postscript to all of this...it seems that, initially, it was thought that this was the train heading home from downtown and that the crash occurred between the Fort Totten station and the Takoma Park station. That would make it the exact train that Jeffrey takes home every day. However, later reports seemed to indicate that the train was actually heading back downtown at the time of the accident....and that the crash occurred from the Takoma Park station heading toward the Fort Totten station...)

Either way...it was way too close to home for me and my family...

XOXO

A shaken, but grateful, Mom

2 comments:

listen for azure said...

I'm so glad your son was fine. A terrible tragedy for those on the trains.

Tabor said...

There were times when I took part of the leg of the journey when I worked. I am so glad that your son is fine and I also am still wondering if I knew anyone on that train.