Memoir Offers Lessons in the Journey from Coping to Thriving

By Eva Trieger

Ialways find it serendipitous when things fall into my lap when I’m needing them most. Allow me to explain. I’ve just finished reading an autobiographical book by broadcast journalist and talk show host, Joanne Greene. Greene, a take-charge, fully present go-getter was humbled by a traumatic and devastating car accident. By Accident: A Memoir of Letting Go , provides not only a highly personal account of the pain, suffering, and acceptance associated with the event but offers lessons in coping and eventually, thriving. Greene has courageously and graciously invited the reader to grow with her and overcome the obstacles beyond her control. What perfect timing as we perch on the cusp of the month of Elul! The book is the perfect reminder that our Jewish lives are in the hands of Hashem, regardless of how much we believe we’re in charge!

Greene’s memoir opens with her stepping into the crosswalk in front of the JCC, where she works, and the synagogue where she worships, when she is slammed by a car and sent up into the air before landing on the ground. Amazingly, she did not suffer head injuries from the impact but did sustain four breaks in her pelvis. What follows is her journey of healing that required so much more than just knitting bones and physical therapy. Greene had to learn to rely on her husband, friends, family, and community. Fortunately, her Jewish values and faith, and connection to the Jewish community, provided her with tools to handle that which initially seemed incomprehensible and intolerable.

I was struck by Greene’s acknowledgment that this cataclysmic occurrence did not only affect her life. Fred, her husband of more than 34 years, stepped up to the plate in ways she could not have imagined. He was with her through every torturous step, providing nourishment, moral support, and creative problemsolving for mobility and positioning issues. The two had met in 1978 when both had worked for San Francisco radio station, KSAN FM. The pair raised two sons, both of whom observed the love, commitment, and devotion of their parents to one another and to their family.

The book is much more about resilience, determination, and the realization that life cannot be lived at 100 mph. It must be savored slowly, taking time to really experience every morsel of the savory banquet that is uniquely catered just for us. Greene, though not of her volition, was forced to pace herself and acknowledge her need for occasional time-outs. While she loves her friends, at times the energy required was just too much.

While the trauma of being hit by a car may have been the catalyst for Greene’s memoir, her sojourn brought her to a new reality and required great introspection enabling her to tune into her purpose, her connection to life, and the creation of a legacy. Along the way, Greene experienced additional health hurdles, a few simchot, and an ever-increasing appreciation for staying present and open to the full range of experiences, viewed through the lens of uplifting Jewish values. While we enter into Elul and take stock of who we are and where we’re going, By Accident , reminds us of the gift of looking inward in order to grow outward.