My mom never did like motorcycles
Nieghbors of ours - a husband and wife living diagonally across the street from us - were killed this past Saturday in a motorcycle accident in Ticonderoga NY. She was to be one of the 3rd grade teachers in our kids school next year and the kids all found out on Saturday who they were to have for a teacher next year. Emily was not assigned to her class but of course many of her peers were. It’s been a bit of a shadow over things the past few days. There are a couple articles about it, one a couple days ago in the Ticonderoga paper, and finally today in our local paper. Do be praying for us as we know how to interract with the neighbors. Their youngest son, Steve, is still living at home and we were able to stop by briefly this evening.
NB 6/1: Another article from the Essex Reporter. I can appreciate what their daughter shared about it being a private (personal) thing (for the family) yet affecting the whole community all the same. We heard there’s a “wall of memories” over at Fleming, the upper elementary school where Jeanne was a 4th grade teacher for 13 years and it’s a pretty special place a lot of her former students are returning to in order to share their thoughts and grief. Life seems to “go on as usual” here in the neighborhood and across the street, but I think tomorrow (the day of the memorial service, to be held down in Ticonderoga which is about 90 min from here) will be unusually quiet.
May 30th, 2007 at 8:30 am
I will pray that you have wisdom to deal with this. Things like this can be difficult for young children even though you are not directly related. The realities of life can be harsh and hard to understand.
Love, mom
June 4th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Melanie,
I have always advised that doing what comes naturally doing a grief process is wise for God loving people as your family. Trust your instincts Melanie — they are shared by your family and they are good.
I’ll remind you of one 6 yr. old friend of Tom’s who came to the door during the first week Tom was gone. You were playing in the play pen in the front yard, as usual with me at the kitchen window watching. He asked if Tommy could go come out and play.
It was natural and simple to tell him, “Tom is not here. He went to live with God last ??? He said “Oh Yea, I forgot.”
“When’s he coming back?” “He’s not, He’ll be in Heaven when you and I get there, a long time from now.” Then we went out front, sat on the curb and talked. “Who am I gonna play with, if Tom isn’t here anymore?” I mentioned a couple other guys. Then I told him that “Tom might tell him to play with his baby sister who missed him too.” He did.
When I shared it all with his MOM, all she could do was apologize. She could not understand how good it was for me!
Mother