Last night was one of the most, if not the most horrible night of my life. My husband texted me he was on his way home from work - he had gotten the COVID vaccine at his job earlier. I’m almost 31 weeks pregnant. He worked out on his lunch break and was complaining of feeling funny, I assumed it was because of the workout.

Fast forward, I’m cooking dinner and I get a call from him that he’s having horrible chest pain and he’s hyperventilating. I’m asking him where he is, then nothing. I keep trying to call back and no answer, at this point I’m throwing all the raw dinner ingredients into the fridge and trying to not let my daughter see me spiraling. I get a call that I’m his emergency contact and he’s being transferred to the local hospital by paramedics and our car is stranded off the side of the highway.

His amazing supervisors called me and offered to bring me the car since I was stranded without our daughters car seat (they’re all dispatchers so they knew the situation) - all while it’s pouring rain and dark out now. My husbands best friend also comes and we all drive to the hospital together - FINALLY I see he’s okay and was unconscious for awhile, hooked up to tubes and machines. Apparently a reaction to the vaccine since they couldn’t find any underlying issue. I have never felt so relieved and happy and thankful in my entire life.

It really made me think - at any moment, even a boring Wednesday night cooking pasta while our kid is screaming and making a mess with toys - anything could happen and change our lives forever. Life is short. Hug your partner tighter.