It's with a real heavy heart and jittery legs that can't stay still, that I'm writing this post.
In 2008 my cousin, who was 22 years old (and stunningly beautiful, authentic, captivating, and on her way to being wildly successful) died in a car crash. She had had some drinks at the concert and was speeding on her way home with her boyfriend. She was thrown from her car and found dead in a tree. She was brought back, and hooked up to all kinds of machines for a few days before the decision was made, due to her being brain dead and having no chance of recovery, to pull the plug. All our family was there and it was one of the most heart-wrenching experiences I've ever had to endure.
That's what makes this most recent situation even harder to deal with.
On Saturday morning I received a phone call, her younger brother, now 23, was speeding home from the bar with their older brother after several drinks, swerved his truck to avoid an oncoming car and caused a three car accident. A woman in the first car he hit was killed.
He is a good kid. He has a conscience, an amazing girlfriend, and a future. He is one of those people you could call in the middle of night, and he would be there if you needed him.
I want to shake the bejesus out of him. What in the HELL was he thinking.
He went through this. He lost his sister. His family has struggled through the last couple years, especially my aunt.
Another family now is going to be put through this devastation and the two teenage girls are left without their Mother.
The several eyewitnesses who saw him driving, said he was driving out of control. Great, eyewitnesses....where was the phone call? A DUI would be a zillion times better to deal with than this.
I've had ex-bfs get mad at me before for calling on several what I thought were drunk drivers. I'd rather call and have the situation checked out than losing someone or having someone else lose someone.
Trust me when I say I'm not blaming the eyewitnesses. I'm not, but I do wish they would have called.
It's weird to see your cousin on tv in a court house. It's even worse to read the comments strangers write online to the newspaper articles.
I hate that my cousin made a decision that will affect him for the rest of his life. I hate it so much for him I can't even stand it. Like I said, he's a damn good kid who made one of the worst decisions he could have. Quite honestly, I'm not sure how he's going to deal with this emotionally. He knows what it feels like to be on the other side.
I hate that my aunt and uncle are having to go through this.
I hate so much that this other family is going to have to needlessly suffer.
I'm hoping like heck there is some other rationale as to the cause of this accident. I hope this wasn't just a drunk driving accident. And I realize that the only reason I'm hoping this, is because he is in fact my cousin, and I know him. If this were a stranger, I'm sure I would feel differently.
I'm hoping like heck this is a crazy nightmare and I will wake up soon.
Cause it sure as hell was like a punch to the gut.
