Time passes but memories seldom do. And sometimes memories are brought back to us by things we can't control.
This week the calendar dates of Friday and Saturday brought back difficult memories from 28 years ago. My how time flies.
It was Friday, November 5, 1993 when my mother observed her 72nd birthday. We never did much to celebrate birthdays but this year each of her children, their spouses and her grandchildren individually took time to drop in during the day to visit her and wish her a happy birthday. That was unusual but I believe that the Lord planned this.
It was a good day and now it is a great memory.
The following day, Saturday, November 6, my wife and I left early in the morning to drive to State College to attend the Penn State – Indiana football game. We had a good time especially since Penn State won, 38-31.
We decided to go home by the way of Selinsgrove since my mother-in-law was not well. We stopped for something to eat at a fast food spot – I think it was Hardees – near Middleburg. When we arrived at my wife's parent's mobile home my father-in-law greeted us and told us that we had to immediately call my son because my parents had been in an auto accident.
We called Craig who told us that my mother had been killed and that my father was in the hospital. He was the only family member the police were able to contact. We immediately headed home stopping only at a restaurant to go to the bathroom before reaching Lancaster. Fortunately no police saw us because we made the trip in record time.
When we arrived at the hospital we met Craig, my sister and her husband, and our pastor. My brother and his wife had also been out of town and they arrived a little later. It was a sad and stunned gathering. An elder from our church also arrived to be with us.
Together we went to see my father who did not have any serious injuries. He had already been told about my mother. He ended up being admitted for observation and was released a few days later.
Then we asked if we could see my mother. That was a mistake because she looked terrible and was still hooked up to hospital equipment. I will never forget that sight. They told us that she had died instantly although later we heard some conflicting information that said she was still alive when she was taken out of the car. No matter which was true, she was then with her Lord in heaven. All of her physical problems, which were many, were then all resolved.
We then learned that a teen on his way to work ran through a traffic light and hit my parent's broadside. My parents were on the way home from shopping. Apparently the boy's parents came to the scene and quickly took him away so the police did not have an immediate chance to examine him. There were some stories that he might have been drinking earlier in the day but there was no evidence available about his condition at the time of the accident. So we will never know if he was sober.
The next few weeks were very busy. We had a private service and burial attended by family and a few friends and family. A very heavily attended memorial service followed in our church. The number of people who came to give their respects stunned us. Mother had many friends throughout our denomination and community. We had to cut off the visitation line and the service actually started an hour late. Many stayed after the service to talk to us.
My wife and I stayed with dad for about a week and then he lived alone for another 16 years until the Lord took him home. He never complained but he missed her deeply. He displayed his faith and trust in the Lord that he had shared with us all of his life. His faith was real and was an example to all of us.
I still miss my mother and often wish that I could talk to her again but I know where she is and know that someday I will see her again. Mother had many physical problems but God kept her from going through all the suffering that so many older folks face in nursing homes. I am so thankful for that.
But specifically, Friday, November 5 and Saturday, November 6, even in 2021, bring back many memories.
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