Let this day be marked...by dirt , two hairs, and a nickname.

This day I feel gratitude marred with some sadness. I am grateful that my headlights showed the path ahead, I am grateful that the brakes worked as needed, I am grateful that there was no harm to me, the car, or...Bambi. I have never struck an animal in my 10+ driving years, even with my late night drives through the canyons and my summer job of driving 8 hours each day. Never, until today.I had dropped Drew off at work this morning about 6am and was on my way home when there was a deer in my headlights. In about 3 seconds I slammed on the brakes, thought back to my driver's ed course where they tell you to brake until you're going to hit the animal and then let off the brake so your car will not (this is my phrasing) scoop up the animal and throw it through the windshield, disregarded this thought thinking I'm not that close or going that fast, and then...bump.

The doe did not fall, it did not limp, there was no blood, but yes there were tears. I watched her finish crossing the street and wait on the grass, I saw headlights a mile behind me and turned on my hazard lights to warn this new driver that there was a deer in the area, watched the doe cross the street back to where they came from, and let the car pass me while I slowly moved forward.

As soon as I bumped the poor thing I immediately started to tear up. I've always had a tender heart and tears come easily but I had hurt (Drew says bruised, if anything) this creature and I couldn't do anything to console it. So today will move forward like any other day but let it be marked that today is the day that I hit a deer.