A "Loving Family"

We all have seen them before, the sad bundle of artificial flowers, brightly colored mylar balloons, wreaths, crosses and whatnot marking the spot of a terrible traffic accident. The fact is always so sobering, while we drive so easily and speed by an average intersection or corner, only to realize someone had an incident there, where they took their last breath. So sad.

A few weeks ago, while driving down a major street we drive on every day, we noticed clustered around a stop sign, some flowers, and a few small candles burning. The kids were intrigued and asked why they had been placed there. I explained how people make little memorials on the side of the road where their loved ones have died.

I hadn't seen them there before so I googled the intersection and discovered the accident had taken place the evening prior to our noticing the array. A small Honda civic, a four way stop sign, a big utility truck who did not stop, resulted in the deaths of two innocent lives. I explained what happened to my children. Their first reaction was placing the time it took place, and mentioning how grateful they were their teacher, who had been at our home until right before it took place, had not been involved.

The article was short and to the point. The victims names were not published as I am not sure family had been notified at the time of the article being published. That article was the only explanation of their fate I was able to dig up online. No memorial, no article touting safer driving laws, no anything. Just two nameless individuals, departed into eternity in a mere few seconds.

As the days went on, we drove back and forth past the site on our way to town for church and school. The little site grew bigger. More flowers, more balloons, and most of all, more candles. Lots of candles. Always burning.

One night, it was cold and rainy, and we noticed only one little candle was weathering the cruel winter night. The next morning, we could see the little spot had once again been attended to, as new candles replaced the old ones, and little crosses with names engraved had been added. Now we could learn the names of these two people. No one we knew, but they were only 33 and 35 years old. Quite possibly a husband and wife, or two siblings, as they shared a last name.

That night, as we drove by again, the kids noticed the candles all burning brightly once again. They spoke about it. And Caeden said something that although was simple, it touched my heart. Softly he said, "Wow.....they must really be a loving family". I swallowed the lump in my throat and agreed with him that yes, indeed, they were a loving family.

I do not know them, probably not very many other people knew them or know the family, but my heart aches for them. A family who just a few weeks after Christmas, lost two members in one moment. While their names never made news, or their story was never really published, this family made an impact by demonstrating to my children, how loving and devoted they were to one another. While I know this happens all over the world, in every country, state, city, town, and community, I wanted to share this today, and embrace life; for it is but a vapor. And I hope that when my days on earth are gone, that being a part of a "loving family" will be a great piece of my legacy.