DIANNE HAD QUITE A DAY!

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”  (James 4:14)

Today, March 25, not only would have been my late brother Eddie’s 52nd birthday but it ended up being a traumatic day for my sister Dianne.  Dianne was a passenger on the commuter train that crashed just outside Canton Junction station late in the afternoon.  I was listening to the Howie Carr Show on WRKO, doing some ironing, and starting supper (yes, I’m pretty domestic and Mary Ann was not home) when it was announced that there was “breaking news” that a train crash had just occurred at Canton Junction station.  I immediately felt uneasy, knowing my sister commutes to Boston’s Back Bay area by train from Canton every weekday.  I tried to tell myself that there are several trains each afternoon and that might not have been her train, but five minutes after the announcement on WRKO, I received a phone call from her very close friend Robbie Fregeau.  Robbie sounded worried and OMINOUS.

“You better put the channel 5 news on,” he began.

I interrupted and said, “Dianne was in that train crash, wasn’t she?”.

“Yes,” he said, “and she’s hurt.  She said there’s people all around her on the floor and bleeding.  At least she is not bleeding and can walk around but she’s hurt.”  

Robbie told me he would try to get to Canton Junction, find Dianne, and take her to a hospital.   About an hour later, I called Robbie’s cell phone and learned that he and Dianne were on their way to Needham’s branch of the Beth Israel/Deaconess Hospital (the former Glover Hospital).  Norwood Hospital and Brockton Hospital were overwhelmed with victims of the train crash pouring in so they called Needham and found out the hospital wasn't busy.  Dianne had hit her head and her knee and wanted to be checked out.  She was understandably very shaken up.

By now you probably know that a freight car full of lumber had rolled onto the track.  Dianne was in the FIRST passenger car where most of the injuries happened.  Dianne said the train was just about pulling into the station when the conductor verbally warned the passengers that a freight car had just rolled onto the track.  She turned to look at the conductor and was suddenly and violently thrown forward.  Since she was looking at the conductor, she  hit the side of her head, but otherwise would have hit her face and might have had a broken nose and other serious problems.  When trains are pulling into the station, people usually are up out of their seats and walking toward the door.  (Admittedly, I usually do that.)  Those who were out of their seats were the most seriously hurt.  Dianne was just about to get out of her seat when the impact happened.  Her injuries could have been so much more serious!

Once again, this incident reminds us we never know what may happen in a day.
I know this is going to sound like a nagging, Southern evangelist, but I don’t care:  Are you right with God?  I don’t know what day you’re reading this but, would you be ready to meet God if you should die today (or tomorrow)?