An Attack of Accidents

So, here are a couple pictures from my UI graduation. On the left, my mom, dad (after surgery) and myself right after graduation (my dad missed the ceremony); on the right, the van they were driving when they were hit. No, they didn't drive that home. During our class discussion, I had a hard time getting past the cliche about "finding the good in the bad." I mean, yes, my parents' accident made me realize not only the fragility of life, but the changes happening in our relationship. I had just graduated and was moving farther away from home, starting my own life and separating from them in many ways. When my dad finally did check out of the hospital and head home, I was very emotional, much more than I would have been had there been no accident. I am so very thankful nothing worse happened, but I still get upset that they even had to go through it. So, is the bad really, truly good? Good can come from bad, but when you have a truly bad experience is there good actually in it or can good just come from that experience and the changes that occur? I'm trying to decide id these are two separate ideas at all. Is the occurrence separate from the experiences that come from it?

I guess it's just hard to stomach the whole "find the good in the bad" thing when something hurts you. However, I really like Hyde's idea in chapter 5 "The God of the Crossroads" that. Accidents are essential: "Nothing new under the sun can happen without absolute chance" (120) That is something I can whole-heartedly believe without recalling some past pain. That is one of my favorite things about the trickster; they upset social order and create change, even creating a cultural gift. But is all change good? And is change always come from accidents?