The day my life changed!

I am the kind of person is a care free soul... not thinking about a lot just having fun and being free. One beautiful day me and my family decided to go out sledding (A.K,.A. snowmobiling). At the time my dad was driving my Artic cat 580 and I was riding with my cousin Stephen.

We get up on the very top of the mountain and we were jumping snow drifts and what not and a huge blizzard started rolling in. I don't know how this happen but the rest of the famdam took off down the mountain and me and my cousin got stuck trying to get out.

At the time we were in panic mode that we were not thinking. As the blizzard got worst with each passing second I went to the top of the drifts and waited hoping that my cousin could get us unstuck so we could head down the mountain.

After multiple attempts of my cousin hitting the hill and getting stuck and digging himself out and trying again... I started to get cold. I wasn't thinking clear enough to keep my blood flowing so I curled up in a ball beneath a tree on the top of the hill.

As I grew colder I started to look back on my life, my choices, and my family....and at that moment I found myself praying to God to take care of my family and to have my cousin make it out alive..., even if I didn't.  At this very brief moment I felt a warmth of relief and I had accepted my fate that I was not going to make it out alive. Every part of me was frozen, my hands, feet, hairs, tears rolling down my cheek. Although at that moment I knew I was going to leave this world and hoped that my family would be ok.

When I accepted the inevitable and as I grew warm.. I felt a hand reach down and touch me and I heard my dad tell me to get up. I thought I was hearing shit but my dad had found us. He showed my cousin a different way to get out and he told me I needed to walk.. I was frozen in a ball and as I tried with all my strength to move my legs it felt impossible. The snow was up to our knees or deeper. My dad dragged me until my legs started moving more and more and he kept telling me.. don't give up Shanae, you have to keep moving. I can not lose you. I was in and out as I was suffering from Hypothermia but his words echoed in my head and I tried as hard as I could.

Eventually I was able to move my legs more and more and by the time we hiked back to his snowmobile I was back to my normal self. Because of my dad and my guardian angel I am here today!

The craziest part of this story is my dad was having problems with the 580 and all he knew is the last place he seen us. He hiked over a mile to get to us and right to this day he has no idea how he found us in a full fledge blizzard. He says I have a really good guardian angel who makes sure I'm safe. The state I was in... my dad said I may have only had another 10 to 15 minutes before I was gone.

After this near death experience it has opened my eyes and heart to the beauty in life and the things that we take for granite. I believe we should live life to the fullest each day and not forget to tell the people you love how much you do love them. Because in a blink of an eye it can all be taken away! Don't forget to tell the people in your life, how much you appreciate them and love them! Don't forget to stop and smell the roses and be happy in life! It's too short to be unhappy... Go live your life the way you want to and love the people that mean something to you.

With much love and gratitude,  - Shanae