Hard to Believe

Just over a year ago our good friends and neighbour's 6 yr old son Jake was hit by a truck and killed while coming home from school. This tragic event happened just a few blocks from our homes.

I will never forget that day for as long as I live nor will I drive past that corner, as I do every day, without thinking of it.

Within hours of the accident there were flowers, balloons and stuffed teddy bears placed at the corner signpost. In the end there were more than 200 teddy bears donated to the local children's hospital. One stranger from our community built a little cross with some kind words carved on it. Another stranger from the community drew a charcoal sketch of Jake and affixed it to the street post. At Christmas time, our family left a little tiny Christmas tree and a small stuffed snowman. At halloween our two families went trick or treating together as we have for years.....this year we made a stop at the memorial and each child gave "Jake" some goodies from their goodie bags.

Our friends Mike and Jill have been keeping their son's memorial small and tasteful. They themselves tape a small vase to the sign post and fill it with artificial flowers. When others in the community add something like a poem, a picture or a balloon, Mike or Jill take it home to put in their memory chest so that it doesn't become a distraction or a hazaard to drivers.

All in all it's a small, pretty spot where a horrible tragic event occured.This event rocked our community. It's not just the family that goes to the memorial. It's a place where strangers have placed poems or flowers because you can't just go to their house, knock on the door and say " Here, I was feeling bad so I wrote this poem!". Instead people are able to anonymously show their grief and support to a member of the community.

A couple of weeks ago Mike was driving by and he noticed everything was taken down and a cardboard box was sitting by the signpost. Their flowers and vase were in the box with a note that said " could you please stop putting flowers here. When my wife and daughter go by it makes them too sad." There was no name signed to the note.

The next day after much thought, Mike put the vase and flowers back on the signpost and a day later someone once again put them in a cardboard box. During these few days, the driver of the vehicle was acquitted of all charges and we celebrated Jakes 8th birthday, an emotional and difficult couple of weeks for the family so Mike put the flowers back in the vase, and back on the signpost.

The next day they were gone, no cardboard box either. The person took everything.!!

You know, I, my husband and my kids need those flowers there. Our community of friends needs those flowers there. I ran to that spot a year ago with my nurse brain running through basic first aid..... yet I came upon our little Jake lying on the street with 5 paramedics doing CPR and advanced resuscitative efforts to save his life. I drive past that corner at least once a day and like seeing some flowers and the odd balloon thank you.

Who does this guy think he is? So, his wife and daughter are saddened by the flowers? There's a big sign in the shape of a coffin that says "FATALITY" on the top of the sign put there by the City.....and THAT doesn't make them sad??? If anything, those flowers make a driver SLOW DOWN because they say...someone died on this street corner.

I'm flabbergasted. I don't get some people.