A Day of Heart Felt Emotions

Last night we got home, after spending the evening with our son's family, to find several messages on the answer machine.  When I heard the one from my friend, Sylvia asking me to call her I knew something was wrong.  It was already nearly 10 p.m. but she's a night owl so I didn't hesitate calling her.  "I have some terrible news to tell you."  she said.  I braced myself and asked, "What?"  "Erin's husband, Brian, was killed in a motorcycle accident Thursday night."  I could hear her words but they weren't making any sense.  "What?"  She repeated the news and then added, "He was on his way home from work.  I guess he was getting off an off ramp and went into a skid.  He it a concret pillar and was killed instantly."  My God, My God.  I didn't know what to say.  "I can't believe I'm hearing this."   She started to cry,  "I know."

   Erin grew up around the corner from us when Dennis and I lived in our first house in Chino Hills.  She is the youngest of four kids of our friends, Donna and Larry.  She's  in her late 20's now.  Brian, her husband was 35.  They have 2 boys, 4 and 2, and she is due to have a baby girl in September.  They were going to move into a new house this very weekend.  Erin is legally blind.  She can see shadows and can make out some forms but nothing more than that.  She and her oldest brother, Jeff, both inherited a gene from each parent that caused this blindness that began to show up in both of them when they were between 8 and 10 years old.  The middle two, Lynn and David  were not effected.  Inspite of her vision loss, Erin has never let anything stop her from doing everything she has wanted to do.  She is warm, loving, outgoing, funny, and delightful.  At her wedding to Brian, when no one was dancing, she got behind the microphone and announced, "This is my wedding and if you guys don't get up and dance, I'm going to cry."  Well, that was all everyone needed to hear.  They all got up and danced the night away so Erin wouldn't cry.  My heart just aches for her today.  I know she is surrounded by her family and good friends.  In the long run, I know her determination and the fight in her will help her get through all of this but, gosh darn it, I wish she didn't have to.  Her children probably won't remember the wonderful man who was their Daddy.  Brian was so warm, kind, friendly and most of all, he cherished Erin and his kids.  It's a tragic loss.