I've seen death before.  I've known tragedy.  Who hasn't?  My personal life has been largely untouched by death in that I've not had any close relatives leave me yet, but I know it's coming eventually and I'm not sure how I'll handle it.  My parents and brothers and their families are still alive.  My grandmother speaks of death almost everytime I speak to her now.  She's ready to go and because of her advanced age, I will be ready to accept it when it comes. 

The story that unfolded around us this past three or four weeks is about the saddest I've ever heard.  It didn't have to happen.  It could have been so easily avoided.  

This is for parents who take unnecessary risks.  Please think about what you're doing. 

One of my husband's co-workers and her husband were out on their motorcycle.  They did not wear helmets.  They were enjoying a ride and each other.  It was a beautiful day and I'm sure the bright Florida sunshine beckoned them to take the motorcycle instead of the car.  When they slowed to make a left-hand turn, I'm sure they never expected the car behind them not to notice.  It was a day like any other until that moment.  I'm sure they had no idea  when they got up that morning that they would both be near death by the end of that afternoon.  It all happened in a split second when they both went flying off the cycle.   

My husband came home with the news.  Barbara and her husband, both in their early 40's were in comas.  It didn't look good for either of them.  They left two boys, 16 and 19 back at the house. 

After a few days there was no change.  Both remained in comas.  Then time time morphed into two weeks.  By this time it was apparent there was no brain function in her and very little in his.  A decision had to be made.

But who was going to make it?  The doctors and the family had to turn to the 19 year old son.  He was an adult now and the nearest relative.  He wanted no part of it.  He wasn't going to pull the plug on his mother.  No way.  He didn't want to feel that responsibility.  He's only 19 afterall.  He shouldn't have to be making this type of decision. 

It got to the point where my husband's co-workers heard her sister was going to go to court to see if she could make the decision to circumvent the son's decision to do nothing.   She wanted her sister to go in peace and be taken off all life support.  In the meantime the husband and father of these boys is still in a coma. 

What an awful place for a young man to be in.  The start of his adult life would always be entwined with a very difficult decision that no one should have to make at this tender age. 

A few days later, the plug was pulled on Barbara.  I don't know who made the final call only that it took three hours for her body to completely shut down.  Her funeral is Wednesday.

In the meantime, the prognosis for the father has been that he has severe brain damage but not sure to what degree.  They are seeing signs of life as he is slowly emerging from his coma.  They are seeing some positive changes in him that is giving everyone hope.  Time will tell. 

It looks like he's going to live but not without a long road ahead.  He will awake to find two boys who are more than a little shaken.  My husband has been asked to talk with the boys from a spiritual point of view.  They are unchurched and we're not sure where they are in all this spiritually speaking.  I'm sure they have many questions if not now, they will have later.  Maybe all we can do is listen, let them know we're here and give them a number to call us.  I don't know yet.  As the spirit leads. 

Another aspect to all of this that no one thought of is the financial angle.  Both parents named each other as beneficiaries on their insurance forms.  The kids have no way of tapping into that. They are not named. Now that the mother  has died, her insurance money will go to the father but he's incapacitated so there's no way for these boys to pay the bills.  They may lose their home.  Both boys have dropped out of High School and neither has a job.  I'm sure that will change real quick. 

New beneficiary forms were sent home to everyone at work to re-think their decisions in lieu of this awful tragedy.  I'm sure many are thinking now of getting their houses in order to make sure this doesn't happen to their children. 

Death happens to all of us but we never think as we get dressed in the morning that this could be our very last day.  That's why I preach and teach so much about being ready.  Eternity looms ahead for each one of us.  We all will reach that destination one day but are we prepared for the trip? 

It could be tomorrow.   Please join with me to pray for this family.