I haven't posted for a very long time, I do apologize. However I had a terrible unthinkable tragedy strike my family. My beautiful sister, am amazing mother of 3 little ones, a loving wife to Brett, a loving (& sometimes bossy) sister and a great daughter to my parents... was killed in a car accident... Aug 26, 2011. It has changed our lives forever. She was very innocently driving down the highway in Saskatchewan... nothing but prairie around her at 0810am.. when a man ran a stop sign off a gravel road.. over one lane of highway into my sister's driver's side door. He was going approx 100-110km per hour.. and didn't even slow down or brake. She was blindsided. All our lives, especially her husband and 3 children.. ages, 10, 8 and 5 were changed forever in that 1/2 second. I have taken the last 4 months to grieve, process, ponder, cry, wail, remember, honor Lisa. I have continued to take photographs after 2 months off to grieve. I will continue to grieve for the rest of my life. Support my family. 2 other sisters, Mom & Dad and numerous family members.. and friends. Lisa's funeral was beautiful. 1000 people attended it. She had an amazing infectious smile and laugh. She was warm and welcoming. An amazing, giving friend. A great sense of humor.. loved to tease and giggle. Lisa was the BEST mother. Patient and kind to her family. Her bossy bone was only out of pure love for her sisters. She always thought of others and empathy for all. She loved visiting with neighbours... one of which was 90 years old. She would take food over and visit him all the time... even on lunch breaks sometimes. We never thought this could happen to such an amazing person. But it has. I stand at her gravesite and weep, wondering how this all could be real. I live each day... in honor of her. Loving my niece and nephews deeply. I've never been one to take life for granted. I've always been a bit leery of what was to come. Many friends had experience tragedy.. which left me uneasy. 3 weeks before her death.... a I was awakened my sirens near my apartment in Vancouver. I heard a woman... wail.... a cry I had never heard before... as I assume her husband was taken by stretcher. I laid awake for hours after that... worrying... feeling for her. Wondering if he was okay. Putting myself in her shoes. Crying for her, even, a bit. I was shaken by that experience. Then suddenly 3 weeks later that was me. Wailing.
I will never forget how this experience has changed me and my family forever. I have learnt so much about love and life. How fragile we all are. How life can change in 1 second. How we place so much trust in other people to do the right things... to slow down. BUT. I will not live afraid. I AM stronger because of this. I've realized how strong I am. Deeply strong. I forgive all the things Lisa would have wanted to apologize for or explain... somehow I know this deeply. Just as I have no guilt over things I would have wanted to say, if given one more chance. We were very close. We had our differences of opinion... however loved each other so deeply. I will love and honor her always... forever...
I love you Lisa. Forever sisters.
