Tragedy ...

My husband came home Monday to say he had heard some tragic news. A local man (
a father of 7 children ~aged 6 -18) had been killed in a motorbike accident on Sunday.Someone who came into our business had mentioned it to him in passing conversation.

We knew S because he had been a customer of ours a few years ago. He was a local real estate agent at the time. A few years later we purchased a new (7yr old) house through his agency. It was with one of his employees though not S.

The day we had the settlement on our house S was there for the final inspection. The day was very significant in that is was also the day we had to say our final goodbyes to our baby daughter. We couldn't delay the settlement without major penalties.

It only involved us having a 'walk' through inspection of the house so we went ahead despite the circumstances and her funeral being 2 hrs later. S was very sensitive and very caring. He expressed his genuine sympathy. I was very, very surprised. It made a big impact.

Then he mentioned his baby daughter had died two years prior.He offered us his card and phone numbers ...said if we needed to talk (or to his wife too even)...

By coincidence I later met his wife at a Baby/pregnancy loss support group .Their infant daughter had died at 18 days old tragically from meningitis. His wife came to the monthly support group only a few times as she had 6 children (another son had been born after they lost their daughter). Though children were welcome at the support group there was no childcare. As you can imagine it was difficult with noisy toddlers, running about, to grieve so she stopped coming.

Though I did not know S personally I feel tremendous sadness for his loss, for his 6 living children. They were on holidays at the time. The newspaper alleges his motorcycle was hit by a car doing a U turn. It will affect their lives forever , as well as the other children in sporting teams he had coached , his family and friends.

My bloggy friend Al, who blogs at 3 timesKewl also has a new blog called One second. A blog to promote and encourage people into safer driving and making safe decisions when about to drive.

One second is all it takes for someone to make a fatal mistake when driving. Al's husband lost his life due a drink driver, a tragic victim of another man's bad choices. Al, lost the love of her life and his children lost their father forever.

One second is all it takes to make good choices too .

It aims to facilitate discussion and help raise awareness of safe driving practices.Most importantly, it is about giving conscious thought to your defining seconds, and making them count.

My favourite from one of Al's latest posts ... only because I can't link this bit directly.

Every time you get behind the wheel, you take people's lives in your hands.

Every time you turn the wheel to steer around a corner - you choose life.
Every time you break - for a red light, to adhere the speed limit, to safely take the bend - you choose life.
For every second you have your eyes on the road - you are choosing life.

Alcohol
Drugs
Speeding
Driving distracted

These things impede your ability to turn the wheel, to take the bend, to see the red light, to drive safely -

To choose life.

Please go visit her blogs and encourage her too.
♥

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