In an Instant

While H, T.D. and I were enjoying a rather carefree Father's Day yesterday another section of my family was dealing with tragedy. As we strolled through the wetlands near our home taking photographs of birds and other assorted wildlife, an accident occurred that caused that branch of my family to lose a loved one.

My mother sent me an email this morning detailing the awful event and while I probably only met this person a handful of times in my life I cried. It's just so damn awful. It breaks my heart. This accident, an ATV one, happened so fast that there was nothing anyone could do. I don't know how else to describe it all except to put in an excerpt of the email-I took out all names-

Upon my brother's arrival, he could see that the victim was having great difficulty breathing and was in tremendous pain. He (my uncle) had already called 911. The victim's wife also rushed to the scene with my uncle. While there, the victim mustered enough energy to tell his wife he loved her, and that he was very sorry about what had just happened. He died after that due to internal injuries. A lifestar helicopter had been called, but the call was later cancelled as the ambulance attendees noticed he had already died and took him to the hospital where he was officially pronounced dead. He is survived by his wife and two children. Apparently he traveled over a bump which threw him over the handle bars and after falling to the ground the ATV ran over him and crushed him.

What was a fun family afternoon instantly turned tragic. I've spent a good portion of the morning thinking about how it can all change in a single moment. Morbid perhaps, but if that is not a dose of reality to shock you I don't know what is. My mother commented that she had just been seated near this man and his wife at a family wedding (I never make it to these things in N.E.). She kept saying that it was crazy to think back to that time and realize there were only sixty days left in that man's life. Who knew?! It sucks that it is these types of moments that makes us slow down, think, wonder, and study our lives. I took T.D. to the library versus sticking her in the daycare at the gym. I enjoyed watching her check out the turtles in the tank and the new bulletin boards in the kid's section rather than ellipticalling my thighs away.

I can't wait to hug H when he walks in the door. I'm glad I felt him kiss me goodbye when he left for work this morning.