Life

Yes, I am a total slacker!  It seems like the only time I get to this blog is when I am catching up on Elle's and Heather's blog :)  I love to read about other people's lives. So, speaking of other people's lives. I have a new passion. I am following the journal of a family (from Caringbridge.com) I feel that I have known my whole life, but I have never met them. The story goes like this (sorry for the run-on sentences):

Spring Break, family of four coming home from a wonderful time. Next, family hit head on by a man that was allegedly on prescription drugs and way over the influence. Both cars burst into flames. The man died at the scene. The father and one of the sons in the other car, died at the scene. The mother and other son escaped the car with over 60% of their bodies burned. The mom was actually able to grab one of her son's from the car while she was on fire. A person that pulled over to the accident put out the flames on her body. The family lives in our neighborhood. Middle J knows the boy that is still surviving. I do not know this family, but they have truly changed my life.  L is the mom and K is the son that is still alive. They are both at separate hospitals and have been for the last 7 weeks. They are recovering. They have had countless skin grafts and last I counted L must have already received over 40 pints of blood. They have just started to walk. In the past 3 weeks L & K have been able to Skype with each other.

I cannot wrap my mind around any of this. Not even a movie could make up these kinds of details. I receive a journal entry each day on the progress of L and K. L's sister writes in it each day and then it is sent out to people following their progress. This family is truly an inspiration.

I often read the comments left by their friends, family, and people that have never met L&K, wow, they are loved.  Our neighborhood has had multiple fundraisers, had a blood drive, and other people continue to donate to the fund. From what I gather, they had little if no life insurance on the father. Definitely not enough to cover the costs of everything they are going through now.   But I feel like that isn't enough.

So, while many people are out celebrating over a death of a terrorist; I am choosing to celebrate life. Death should never be celebrated, even if the person is devil-like, responsible for other deaths, or just truly evil. I have seen life end and I did not celebrate. I have seen life begin and that is truly a celebration.

I celebrate the inspiration that L & K have given and give me each day. The sister of the journal for L & K always ends her journal with something uplifting, whether it is from the Bible, her own opinion or something L or K says to her. I want to try and uphold their fight for their life, even though their lives have changed forever and their journey is only just beginning.

K posted his first journal entry yesterday. This 13 y/o boy, that has been hospitalized for 7 weeks away from his mother, has had night terrors remembering his brother in the car, has undergone unimaginable pain and will never see his father or brother on Earth again journals this, "Hi, it's K! I am actually doing fine emotionally there is things to be sad about but I look at the smaller joys in life and keep my head held high and love living."

Enough said.