Tags
car accident, Crossing Streams, death, Drew Meader, drinking & driving, grief, love, Priya Dubey Sah
Such pain, when you think of those small reminders of the one departed!
That is one way to look at it. How about trying this —
Such love, when you think of those small reminders of the one departed!
(Poetry from Crossing Streams . . . and then pondering, by Priya Dubey Sah)
Chasing the setting blue moon in August, I was startled to come across this memorial alongside a nearly deserted county road in Idaho.
Drew Joseph Meader, 18, lost control of his pickup shortly after midnight the morning of September 12, 2009. Investigators cited speed and alcohol as factors in the crash. Drew was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the vehicle. A passerby reported the accident at 8:30 that morning.
A young life, the promise of things to come, all stopped dead, leaving such pain—such love.
Rangewriter 
so sad!!!
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Linda, thanks for sharing. It takes only an instant. One of the key messages that has sunk into my children is not to drink and drive. My history of being an alcoholic has given me platform that they will listen to as those genes are in them. My oldest son drinks, but they will sleep over at a friend’s house and not drive home. This memorials sadden me greatly. Keith
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Keith, it’s ironic that your alcoholism may have actually saved your kids’ lives. Kudos to you for turning your life around; kudos to your kids for listening to ol’ dad. We have a new danger on the road. Cell phone distraction. Just read a book called Deadly Wandering by Richtel. A real eye opener and a game changer for me.
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It’s always sad when I young person loses his or her life. But as the poem says there is also some sad beauty in the love that comes forward in the mourning of those who are left behind. But it’s almost impossible to image how it would be to lose one of my kids for instance.
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Absolutely, Otto. There is no worse pain than the loss of a child. Though I’ve never experienced it, I’ve observed it up close. Really terrible.
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I have not experience it myself either, but have talked with – as a reporter – people who have. And, yes, it’s terrible.
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Thx for this reminder, Linda, about how quickly a life can be taken from us. We’ve had 2 deaths in our world this past week and one was extremely sudden, as the one you described was. I think that mindfulness is key in keeping us in the moment and being responsible for our actions.
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Oh those sudden deaths are horrible. My sympathy to you and yours as you deal with that. It is never easy to lose someone, but sudden loss it particularly difficult, as is the loss of a child. But yes, these losses do remind us to keep our eye on what’s before us each and every moment. Best.
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Young lives lost unnecessarily just seems like waste. Maybe your post will make one person think before playing fast and loose with their precious life. Poignant indeed.
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I doubt my post will change any young lives. I think that’s just the arrogant nature of youth. But if it makes any of the rest of us think twice, that’s great! All those little cross markings that I see along the roadside make me think twice. I don’t know, perhaps those aren’t allowed in all states. I’ve never seen a memorial as large as this one, though.I had to turn around and come back to it, it was that powerful.
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sobering post, but it makes us all think about the consequences of drinking and driving or talking on the phone and driving.. i drove my friend barb to quito today, and at times she pointed to something, and i said, ‘can’t look.. i’m driving…’
it only takes a few seconds’ distraction, and the script can change….
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Yes, there are so many distractions today. And too many drivers are cavalier about driving. Frankly, I don’t even like driving with a passenger in the car because I can’t concentrate as well as I need to on my driving. I’m hopeless that way.
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Hi Linda, Nice post. I tried to comment, but don’t know if it will work because not sure I logged in correctly through G mail.
Here is my response. Take Care,
Rae Ann
I notice many of those highway crosses, and feel sad for the person and their friends and family. I’ve often thought of stopping to read the name of the person. However, most of the markers are in a dangerous place to stop and get out ! notice the little girl’s cross near the Winco on Eagle road near Highway 55, all the time, Right at the stop light, no place to get out and see her picture or read her name. She was five or younger. I know about joy and pain, having lost my son at age 24, although his was not a car accident. I’m reminded of a hymn that has the words “Oh joy that seeketh me through pain, I dare not try to hide from thee.” I can relate to those words. There will always be pain inside from the loss of a loved one, for me, especially a child, but we can experience happiness again, especially when we talk about them with others, and remember them in special ways,
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Rae Ann, thanks for adding your wise and experienced words to the conversation. It is somewhat telling that most of the memorials are located on bad spots along the road. I’ve heard the argument that they should not be allowed because they take a driver’s mind off the road at a critical moment. There may be a kernel of truth to that, however, I think an even greater truth is that perhaps they help to remind drivers of the consequences of one tiny little mistake.
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You write as if you were born in the fabric of words and seeded the world. Such talent mi lady♡
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Oh my, such delicious words from someone who paints the world with words. You made my day.
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I feel fortunate to have found you♡
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Likewise. Thank you Keith!
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He’s a very good man
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Reblogged this on Rangewriter and commented:
After finding a note from Drew’s father that Drew’s birthday was today, I am reblogging my own post. I’m sorry for your loss, Daren. The pain never goes away.
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So tragic. Although there is no recovery from that for the family, those memorials must bring some comfort. They also serve as stark warnings to the rest of us.
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Yes Janis, we need these reminders sometimes. This one especially touched my heart.
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I followed the prompt and read this again – still as sobering and haunting as it was in 2015. This is a beautiful tribute – the strong light/shadow of the images and the baseball cap – so personal
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Funny how one can be cruising down the road of life and be suddenly stopped short, brought to heel, forced to contemplate the ephemeral nature of life.
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Those are the wake-up calls for all of us; even in deaths which seem too early/too soon, those dear souls teach us very-valuable lessons. My nephew, who did not die – but broke his back , teaches me life lessons, and I am now extra careful with all tasks. Just one slip, one wrong move, and our lives can be greatly altered.
It is a lovely post, one that shows a person who was surely cherished by many, and not forgotten. He lives on in many ways, and one is via your tribute to him.
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Good for you, Lisa. You’re teachable. I’m still woefully reckless. But reckless at 66 is affordable. Reckless at 22 is a completely different dynamic. 😦 I always mourn for the lost years, the lost wonders, the lost contributions of those who leave us so young.
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