Wow. It’s been ten years. I’ll never forget February 24, 1999, because that’s the day my family became more precious to me. We were on our way to my Great Grandmother Holmes’ funeral in Mesquite. My older brother had recently gotten his drivers permit, but wasn’t used to driving at freeway speeds. After getting too close to a semi, he over corrected, sending us into a ditch. We hit the bottom and the car rolled 3 ½ times up the other side of the ditch, landing on the other freeway facing the opposite direction from where we came. That scene and the ones that followed will always be in my mind. In some ways it seems like just yesterday, while in others it’s like a distant memory. But that experience made me realize more than ever how much I love my family.
It’s sad isn’t it? Sad that it takes such a traumatic event to remind me how much my family means to me. Equally sad though, is how quickly I could forget such a powerful lesson about the impermanence of life. It’s so easy to lose that sense of what’s really important, and treat loved ones as though I have all the time in the world to right any wrongs, or make my love for them known. It’s easy to forget how close I came to losing them.
The scriptures always teach us to “remember,” I think not only to learn from past experiences, but also to see the hand of God in our lives and recognize how much He has done for us. Remembering can strengthen our faith to endure the inevitable trials of the future and help us to see the silver lining in even life’s most difficult challenges. From that experience I learned to love and appreciate my family, I saw the Christ-like love of others for us, and I learned a powerful lesson on priorities.
“Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family.” –Pres. Thomas S. Monson in “Finding Joy in the Journey.”
**If you remember when this happened, please put any memories you have in the comment section. I'd like to know what everyone else remembers. How you heard about it, etc. Thanks!
6 comments:
dear meghan, i love you.
i remember that! i remember all of us crowding around a pay phone at lunch time to try and call you to see how you were doing.
i also love that you used the word "impermeable."
come back to vegas and visit...soon. :)
love, me
Hey Jeanettie! Thanks for putting your memories. You inspired me to add a thing at the end asking for others to do the same. I think it would be nice to know how others remember it! You're the best!
I do remember that. I remember Don getting a call that he had to get to the hospital quickly, that your family had been in an accident. Don was your hometeacher. I remember Don coming home and being so upset! I also remember Zachery visiting your sister in the hospital. He was so concerned for her. We latered learned that when she went back to school he would take care of her and watch over her. They were only in 1st grade.
Thanks Kelley, you guys were so important to us during this time. We've mentioned how Don was one of the first ones there, and we'll never forget how sweet Zach was to Mallory at school. What a good guy--must have great parents! ;)
Mini Meg,
I will never forget that day. We were at Grandmother's funeral and you guys were late. We were getting worried because your mom is never late to anything. Grandpa told us not to worry, and we tried not to. After a while, we could tell that grandpa was getting uneasy, he said he had a strange feeling, so he called highway patrol. I was in the room at the time and I'll never forget the look on his face when he was told that there had been an accident with a car matching the description of yours. He asked if everyone was ok. The officer was hesitant to give information over the phone. Grandpa got frustrated and told the man that he was the father and grandfather of those in the vehicle and he needed to know if everyone was alright. It was then that the man told him that your mom and Mallory were dead on arrival, that they were trying to resuscitate them, and that grandpa needed to get to the hospital. I know grandpa went to the hospital, my mom, I’m sure grandma, I think Andy, and I remember I went too. I don’t remember who else was there. When we walked into the waiting room, the first thing I saw was Preston sitting down, staring at his hands covered in blood. I believe B.J. was in surgery, getting his ear sewn back on, but I remember his blood-shot eyes. All I remember about you is that you were in shock, but you were strong and holding it together pretty well. I remember you were all in shock and you certainly had a right to be. I don’t remember where your dad was, but I believe they were examining him. There aren’t words to express the joy we felt when we heard that they were able to resuscitate your mom the final time. Your mom, of course, was in the hospital for a while. But we were expecting that because she was thrown, as I remember, 40 feet from the car. Mallory was in a coma for several weeks, which was scary because she had to learn to do everything over again. But look at her now, she’s taking honors classes and running track! Your mom and Mallory, both, I consider to be “Walking Miracles.” I know, you are aware of all this information, but as you said, it helps to “remember” things to help us be grateful for all we have and to remind us how much we love our family. I want you to know how much I love you Meg.
Oh Marissa, I appreciate this so much! I'm sitting here almost crying (don't tell anyone). I remember being amazed that you guys would leave the funeral, and especially touched that you came. I love you cuz!
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