From the Treehouse

Wish I could set the scene with a stormy night and “Her senses were telling her to stay home.” It was actually a crisp, Fall day- with no premonitions anything out of the ordinary was about to happen. This is what really happened…


A couple of years ago I was driving around the loop to merge onto the highway above. I was almost onto the highway, when the suv started rapidly losing speed. I gave it more gas, it paused then shot forward. I yanked the wheel to the right, avoiding the oncoming cars in the other lane, but I overreacted and barreled straight toward the side of the bridge.

This was all happening in seconds and at high speed. It’s bizarre, but I felt amazingly calm. I was thinking “I’m going straight over the side, onto the street below, and I’m going to die” and felt no panic- just acceptance. Then it was like I was given a brisk shake, and these exact words jolted into my mind. “This is not fair to ____” (my daughter).

The second that thought came, my mind, reflexes, everything became extremely focused. Then it was like I hit this huge wall of air. It actually pushed the truck back, but my head didn’t jerk at all. I had just hit something at high speed & was pushed back from it, and my head didn’t even bobble- even a little?!

The push gave me clearance, and I turned the truck away from the bridge side. I kept turning and correcting until I had it under control. My actions & thoughts felt fast, but everything else around me seemed to be going in slow motion. It gave me time to avoid crashing into anyone. I have never driven that precisely before. I didn’t hit anyone, no one hit anyone else- there were no accidents.

I kept driving to my destination like nothing was wrong. I guess I must have been in shock, and I could not stop shaking once I parked. I got out, surveying for damage, and there wasn’t even a scrape on the bumper or anywhere!

My daughter texted me a couple of hours later, during her lunch, and asked if everything was ok. I hadn’t told her anything, as I wanted to wait until she was home from school. She said that she suddenly had a really bad feeling about me in English & told me the time. That was exactly when she jolted into my thoughts.


A couple of weeks later, I came across this article in the newspaper. It helped explain a portion of what happened, but I still cannot explain that “puff” of air or that connection with my daughter.


“Ask Marilyn’
by Marilyn vos Savant

During a recent downpour, the driver of a car in the incoming lane lost control and headed straight for me. Suddenly, time seemed to switch to slow motion, and this allowed me to maneuver my car out of danger. It felt as though I had more time to react. Is this a common occurrence? - Bob English Lakeland, Fla.

Yes. Auto accidents sometimes cause this phenomenon, and the ability to shift to extreme concentration- which gives the illusion of slow motion- can be a lifesaver. Unfortunately, not everyone has this capability. Some people “freeze.”



I also want to tell you a little bit about my daughter. There’s a connection with the story above. When I was pregnant with her, the doctor could not detect a hearbeat- even though the HcG levels were high. He sent us to the hospital, but they were unable to detect it either. They said I had miscarried, and they would need to do a D & C. Since it was very close to Christmas, my doctor asked if I wanted to do it then or wait until after the Holidays.

Now, I’m the type of person to get things over with quickly, but I decided to wait. I just wanted to be “pregnant” a little longer. I know that doesn’t make any sense, but that’s what I was feeling. In January, we did a last sonogram…and there was our baby’s heart, beating away fast & strong.


Present day: I do drive the fixed suv, but the first couple of times were hard. My daughter’s a super-smart, beautiful, headstrong young woman. Although, as most parents of teens can tell you, she does make me long for boarding school at times.

Reliving these events made me realize that a “what if” in my daughter’s story could have turned into a “what if” in my own. I don’t know what was at work, but if I had to guess … I’d say that love can be pretty powerful.