A Breath Away

Reflections on Life's Fragile Moments

Flashback to when I’m seven years old, sitting in the back of my parents' Tahoe, clicking a circle peppermint around in my mouth with my tongue for the past five minutes. Both Dad and Mom tell me to stop "because I’m going to choke on it." Of course, I think it’s funny because I’m a little smartass back then. More or less thirty seconds later, I literally choke on it... Really bad. So bad that Dad slams on the brakes and pulls off to the side of the road. He’s about to unbuckle his seatbelt to come back and Heimlich his son, somewhat out of spite for not listening to him, but also and very importantly out of love. Meanwhile, my older brother, just a couple of years older than me, is half-terrified and half-laughing his ass off, because in a way I probably deserved that. It was a long moment that has made me appreciate experiences like this where time slows down and the fragility of life becomes startlingly clear, even for a seven year old.If things had gone just a little bit differently, I might have died on that peppermint. As sad a way to go as that would be, it’s a sobering reminder of how quickly life can take an unexpected turn. Reflecting on moments like this — small, seemingly inconsequential acts that can change everything — is fascinating. These near-misses are terrifying, and sometimes oddly humorous. They remind us how fragile life is and how sometimes it hinges on chance. Chances are you very likely have your own "peppermint" experience, whether when you were young, like I was, doing something stupid, or perhaps it was just the other day.My peppermint story, for instance, is quite funny now, but at that moment, it was mostly panic, and it was a rather quiet drive home after I had recovered. As prepared as he was, my Dad did not even have to unbuckle his seatbelt. My body figured it out, the air came rushing back into my lungs, and up came the mint, in one piece. But what if it didn't come up and was lodged perfectly in my airway? What if my Dad hadn’t been there? What if we hadn’t pulled over in time?These moments make me think about how often we avoid disaster without even realizing it. The close calls, the lucky breaks, and small nudges keep us here. Have you ever slipped on something but caught yourself, or someone caught you, before hitting the ground? Or have you narrowly avoided a car accident? Or decided not to take that one flight that ended up delayed or worse? These moments are everywhere, shaping our lives in ways we rarely stop to consider.It’s humbling to think about how much of our lives are governed by chance. We make choices — to click the peppermint, to swerve the car, to stay home instead of flying — but a lot of times it feels out of our control. Does this make life more precious? Or does it make life feel more precarious? As I write this, I lean towards the former, very firmly. The life-flashes-before-your-eyes moments are no reason to hold back on living life, but are simply a side effect of a life well lived.Whether you have moments similar to my peppermint story or not, you can very likely appreciate how grateful these moments make you feel. I find myself eternally grateful for my Dad’s quick thinking, for my brother’s laughter, for the air that found its way back into my lungs. And yes, even for that damn peppermint. Moments like that remind us how special life really is. The next time your life flashes before your eyes, I beg you to pause and truly appreciate it.