By Diana R.
Have you ever considered the risks involved in driving a vehicle? As teens, we spend a few months practicing and if we’re lucky we even receive lessons from a good driving school. After a few months of having a license, we become more relaxed when driving until it’s just a natural part of our daily routine.
I am a mom of two toddlers, a 4 year old sassy little girl and a 20 month old sweet little boy. My daughter was delivered by emergency c-section and my son was c-section by choice. Yes…by choice. When I was pregnant with my son I had a conversation with my doctor that helped me make that decision. She explained to me all the risks involved in having a natural birth after already having a cesarean. After listing the risks involved, she said to me “It’s a personal decision. We take risks every day just by leaving our house and driving. The chance of us getting into a collision is always there but doesn’t always happen.” Well, I took that information and decided if there were so many risks involved with my delivery I wanted to at least have some control over how it happened. After all, we were talking about my son’s life! So I scheduled my surgery, and two months later a delivered a healthy baby boy with no complications.
Looking back, I would have never thought to compare giving birth to driving…but my doctor did. When you are pregnant you are literally responsible for someone’s life and every decision you make affects that little baby. Well, when you are driving you are responsible for lives as well; yours, the passengers in your car, and everyone else on the road. Every decision you make while driving will affect all those lives. I wonder, if there is so much risk involved when driving why are people so natural about it? Since giving birth, I made the conscious decision to treat driving the same way I treated my delivery. I took control over how I drive and remind myself that I am responsible for other lives every time I get into a vehicle. Take a moment and imagine what the roads would be like if we all made this decision together.
