Who would ever think that all it takes is a second, for your life to come to an end. On August 5^th 2012, God let our family go through what turned out to be a miracle. The day started off as a huge celebration.  Our younger brother was getting baptized on his 18^th birthday.  At around 7 30 pm my sister received a call inviting us all to a bon fire. She called our father to see if it was alright, and was told that if we come home at 11 30 we could go because the next day was a work day. Little did we know that we wouldn’t be home until the next day and some not for a few more days. There were seven siblings from our family and two friends. Excitement was in the air, laughter and smiling. As we were driving, a raccoon jumped out to cross the road. Emiliya swerved and braked as not to hit it. I put on my shoes and look up to see headlights jump out on to our lane and speed toward us. “Milya!!!!” Just a few minutes away from our destination, with nowhere to go the driver, Emiliya, tried to move as much to the side as she possibly could. There’s a loud bang as the car hit us. Our van flies into the air. Screams everywhere; you see everyone flying; feel every hit; wishing it would all speed up and just finish. I watch as the window cracks with spider vein like cracks, slowly bending until it all breaks and falls apart like snow but deadly. We landed in the ditch at the side of the road. There’s moaning, some yells for everyone to get out. The passenger fell out her window as she tried to climb out. One back passenger climbed out the window she broke while we were flipping. The rest climbed out the back. My younger sister called the police and had some stranger call home. My brother made sure everyone who could get out was out. I stayed in the van with my broken arm talking with Emiliya making sure she stayed conscious. She kept trying to get out and yelling: “you guys get me out of here”, “somebody help me”, and “I can’t take this anymore”.  My sisters were praying all seated by the side of the road each holding an arm, side or leg. Our friend Anastasia, who sat in the passenger seat, was really scared and hurting as my sister tried to calm her down and keep an eye on our younger sisters. As the police arrived it turned into a flow of never ending questions. “What’s your name?” “How old are you?” “What is the driver’s name?” and so on. At the time I didn’t realize the importance of these questions. I wanted all of it to stop. Somehow for all of it to wind back up and happen differently. I was on the second ambulance to the hospital. As they put me on the stretcher I didn’t feel my pain, I was busy thinking about my sisters. The ride to the hospital was probably a torture for the EMT’s for it was my turn to ask questions: “How’s my sister the driver?” “Are they all going to be ok?” “Did they get my sister out yet?” “Where are they taking my siblings?” “Have they notified my parents?” it seemed like there was nothing they said could calm me down. We seemed to fly into the ER area where I was met by nurses who took me to a room where I would be helped by doctors. As they made their way down the hallways with me I could hear my parent’s voices. They were so close yet so far away.  Lying on the bed they connected me to computers, I was wired up with a cuff on my arm. But the only thing that kept coming back to my mind was “How is my sister?” After all the x-rays were taken and tests have been run, I was put into my very own room with my arm in a cast. It wasn’t until early the next morning that I found out how my sisters were and how everyone was. Emiliya had an operation as soon as she came. Her left leg had nine staples below the knee, her right knee cap was cracked in half and her right foot was crushed in three places. She had broken ribs on her right side and punctured her liver, fractured hips as well as spine. I had a broken arm, a hole on one leg, bumps and bruises. My younger sister, Galina had hurt her right knee and left ankle. Our brother, Veniamin had just a few minor bumps and bruises. Yuliya had a laceration on her right leg and hurt her knee and ankle. Eleonora sprained both knees. Kristina got away with a few bumps and bruises as well. Our friends, Anastasia and Alyona, had a pretty good scare and were also blessed to leave the accident with a few bumps and bruises. God had blessed our lives and shown us miracles helping us through this. It has made our family closer and stronger. Yes, this did take an emotional toll on everyone in our family as well as in the crash. But God has given us the strength and courage to get back up again. He has given us healing and love, to show that we are His children and He is there for us. Don’t wait for a something big to happen in your life to give it meaning. Give your life meaning so something big could happen.