The grill of a 1998 white Suburban was suddenly upon me, filling my rear-view mirror as I sat stopped waiting to make a left-hand turn to buy flowers for my Mother for her Mother’s Day garden during a surprise visit.

I was terrified and in an instant, I was rear-ended at over 50-mph. The driver seat hinge broke. The seatback collapsed backward. There was nothing to keep me secure against my seatbelt. I had no protection.

The force of the impact propelled my car into on-coming traffic. The second vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of my car at full speed.

My unconscious body was being slammed around the interior of the car like a rag doll resulting in 18 broken bones, severe concussion, vision, and nerve damage.

The Fire Chief commanded the first responders to execute a radical extraction, as “I was dying right before his eyes,” as he whispered in my ear, “I’m sorry, this is going to hurt.” With their orders, the fire extraction team’s mission was to get me out of the car and onto the state police helicopter that awaited to transport me to a level-one trauma hospital 40 miles away.*

The pain was unbearable as they used patient lifters to move me from stretchers to hospital beds to CT and x-ray machines as the fentanyl they gave me at the accident scene must have begun wearing off.

So much screaming. So much pain. Endless tears.

I was alone. I was terrified. After more than three hours of terror, pain, and faith.  My sister Kathy arrived. I felt safe and could let go. That was

May 10, 2019

The extraordinary life I was creating was hijacked and stolen. Nothing would ever be the same. This was not my choice. Carelessness by a distracted driver would change my life forever. Acceptance was the path before me as I continually asked myself moment by moment,

“Who Are You Going To ‘Be’ Right Now Diane?”

As my broken-BODY screams with pain, and my fearful-MIND processes the trauma, my beautiful-SOUL craves love, peace, and joy more than ever.

Diane Cashin

I sit quietly, breathe deeply and listen closely as my beautiful soul provides the clarity and guidance I need:

 This is “where I am,” but it does not define “who I am.” 
 The past can never be changed.
 In this moment, right now, I begin anew, always moving forward.
 What do I need, right now?
 What is the most ideal choice I can make right now?
 What choice will move me closer to living an Extraordinary Life right where I am?

 Begin. Keep going. Never Stop.

My SOUL guides my actions to create “what I want” and “how to get it!”

 Forgiveness creates Love.
 Acceptance creates Peace.
 Focusing on my new Extraordinary Life creates Joy.

A life-threatening accident was definitely not part of my life plan.

It completely hijacked every aspect of my life, not just my physical body.

This Traumatic, Life-Destructive, Near-Death Experience

is now a Permanent Part of

“WHO I AM.”

Moment-by-moment, I have the awareness to choose.

Will I let it keep me trapped and suffering, living my life as a victim?

OR

Will I choose to find the wisdom and gifts I encountered on my journey?

I CHOOSE TO LIVE!

“WHO I AM” and “WHAT I WANT”

Ignites me to always keep going and never give up!