A little over a year ago I posted this next entry. My motivation to post it again will become obvious when you read it. Feeling as strongly now as I ever have, my Christmas wish to all of you would be to please heed this warning and not put yourselves and possibly someone else at risk of paying for a mistake that's so easy to make.
As a Sporting News community member I am privileged to be afforded the opportunity to meet and mingle with an amazing cross section of the sporting nation. My Canadian citizenship, although sometimes at issue here, has opened more doors to comradeship than it has closed. My love for what I believe to be the greatest game on the planet, hockey,is well documented and respected by most. For that I commend my fellow community members.
Yet, today I will not speak of hockey or sport. Today I feel I must acknowledge my first love, family.
Being the 'season to be jolly', I, like so many others have been attending Christmas functions. Most recently a dinner/meeting sponsored by the department I currently am employed, within the City of Sudbury. Being relatively new to this department the meeting marked the first time acquaintance of many coworkers. Two of which surprised me with a common bond to my family.
Andy is an older fellow who will retire in January allowing grunts like me the chance to climb the ladder a wrung. Within the format of getting to know one and other he spoke of a time and place dear to my heart. In a small town not far from here,in another life, Andy told of being a fireman. We traded familiarities in location and contacts when he claimed to know my uncle,then came the bombshell. He was the first on the scene of a tragic accident that took the lives of two precious little girls, my uncles daughters, my cousins. I shake now as I tell this story, this event changed my life.
Tammy is a coworker who, during our first meetings at work, challenged my sensibility's as she is a out front lesbian. Tammy and Monique, her wife, have turned out to be two of the nicest girls I know and on this particular night offered me a ride home as I do not drink and drive. It will become apparent why. We got to shooting the breeze on the way and again as information unfolded it seems that Tammy knows of this small town and also remembers my uncle Leonard and aunt Roberta. She then proceeded to proclaim her realization these two angels were friends, my cousins, in tears she spoke of friendship and the hardship of losing them.
Now, the other day I read a post by a fellow blogger. I can't now recall who, maybe someone can help me, I am so out of sorts over this I must continue to get out this message. Anyway his point was, oh yeah it was a Tim Mcgraw song 'don't take this girl', well it struck a cord! His message was not to wait for something catastrophic to happen! Don't take for granted what a precious gift from God your family is! Hug your girls,kiss your wife and take steps to protect them. AND MINE!
Please Don't drink and drive this holiday, or at any time for that matter!
On a day of reckoning for many families a drunk driver, a mother herself, drove head on into a van holding fourteen young children on their way to a Christmas skating party at the local arena.Two little cousins died one family member survived, my youngest cousin, Cristina. Thirty years later I can point to this event as the single biggest influence on who I am today.
Now, please try to imagine what might have been for these little angels.
The only reason I am able to speak of this here is the thread of commonality created by someone writing a blog. Boy, that sure speaks volumes for the power of the internet and the compassion of the community members that drive it.
No comments:
Post a Comment