On my way to work yesterday, I saw a car resting upside down on the rain-covered side street that leads to the gas station where I usually stop. The police were on the scene and, in fact, it looked like the worst was over. As I straightened my rubber-neck, I was left thinking that somebody had a really, really bad morning. And probably more than just one person - those in the car, their mom, their dad, their kids, their co-workers - the people in their life.
The Day After
Today as I drove by the accident scene it somehow bothered me that it was cleaned up. The car was gone. The incident wiped from the memory of the road. Thousands of people had probably passed by that intersection and had no idea that something terrible happened not 24 hours before. Now maybe other than an upside down car, nothing terrible really did happen. Maybe there was just a temporary scare and moments of gratitude.
How Many Others
Sitting at my desk later in the morning, however, I was reminded of a friend of mine who lost her 20-year-old son not too many years ago to a tragedy. A momentary bad choice. A family forever changed. And since that loss, the days of our lives go marching on without him in it. Yet his family and those of us who knew him, work to keep his memory alive. To celebrate his life while not dwelling on his death. As if that's possible.
Like the driver of the car I saw yesterday will always remember the day of that accident. My friend, and may others like her, remember the days of their losses even when the rest of the world keeps driving on by. I'm reminded that I don't know everyone's days of loss but we all have some. And we'd be wise to treat each other gently, listen warmly and remember to celebrate with each other the joys of the life that we have.
No comments:
Post a Comment