Blink of an Eye

Monday night at Family Home Evening, my ward had a guest speaker. I had never heard of Brother W before that day, but he told us an incredible story:

Two years ago in February, he and his wife recieved a phone call at 1 a.m. It was the police telling Brother W that his son had been driving drunk, had hit a car, and killed a pregnant woman and two of her children. (Click here for more details). This family was in the teenager's stake, and the parents of the woman killed were in Brother W's ward at that time, so they'd known these people fairly well.

Can you imagine how devastated this father would be? He had to watch his son go through all of this, and he felt tremendous guilt toward the grieving family. It was amazing to hear him talk about the trial, his son's regret, and the surviving family members' forgiveness.

As Brother W described the events after the accident, what struck me most was how quickly and easily life changes. I can't take back my bad decisions. I can't change things that the people around me do. All I can do is my best and be supportive of those around me that are doing theirs, whether family, friends, or strangers. No one is perfect. We're living our lives in order to learn and figure things out. And even "bad" news can be kind of fantastic depending on the way you look at it.

I also thought of the Ceran family -- another who suffered through a similar horrible accident. I knew their family well and loved them. I heard about the accident on Christmas Eve and will never forget that phone call or visiting the survivors the next day. The thing they all said was that they were glad the three who died went together, because none of them could have born the deaths of the others. The three who lived felt very blessed they still had each other. They also forgave the other driver. I see them once in awhile and am always struck by how positive and happy they are. They miss their family and their life before, but they choose not to hold onto anger. Instead, they focus on their many blessings. And when it comes down to it, we never know what is coming. We can only hope for the best, accept the worst, and have faith it will all work out.

It was a really emotional meeting. I am glad the co-chairs put me in charge of the event, because if they hadn't I might not have been there. I had needed that message.

Brother W's son is now surving time in prison. His family loves him and is supporting them through the repentance process. I pray that whenever something unexpected comes to me and my loved ones that I'll be able to be as positive and loving as they have been.