1. Denial.

I can out run it, it's not moving that fast. Of course this can't possibly hit me, a terrifying future is plowing towards me at an alarming rate but I'm choosing to ignore the fate in front of me. "Keep moving Meg, run faster, you must out run these darker days". Clinging to the curb or retreating would be the only way to protect my heart but I still find my feet moving, pleading with the pavement to keep up.

2. Shock, Disbelief.

The wind is lost from my lungs, my life. I lay lifeless, exposed and vulnerable as noises of chaos buzz around me. What step along the way lead me to be laying here today. I lay motionless as my future transforms into something unrecognizable. I replay the scene over and over in my head and cringe at my choices, but indeed the impact did happen.

3.Assess the Injuries.

My head, arms, and legs are still attached and I begin to breathe in and out. I come to the realization that all my injuries from here on out will be internal. Loved ones arrive to scene and begin to peel my body off the pavement inch by inch. They carry my withering body to safety and stay close by for the inevitable fall out.

4. Strapping on your Back Brace

Like that enormous yellow bus, life keeps moving. I must strap on my back brace and face the unfamiliar life before me. I muffle my sobs in the 3rd bathroom stall and I try to remind myself who I was before the crash. The same people who peeled me off the pavement are the ones to teach me how to walk again, laugh again, and love. I must find the strength inside and not only live again but thrive.