Anniversary of My Family's Tragedy

Today marks the 3rd Anniversary of a horribly tragic day for our family. The day that 5 family members were taken in an instant from us. It was a strange time in our lives. With tons of mixed feelings. And tons of raw emotions. This is our story...

Joe and I got engaged in 2003. We decided to have our home built shortly after that. And we planned for a big wedding. We planned and planned. For what seemed like forever! Our wedding date set for the Fall of 2006. My family and his, worked for hours and hours on the smallest of details. For almost 2 years, our families came together to work on our wedding.

All the women in my family went with me to pick up my wedding dress, just 2 weeks before. We all cried!!! My tia gave me a bracelet to wear. And a handkerchief that she had made. With my new initials in light blue. We talked about what my future was going to look like. She gave me the wisdom that only a married woman could give. About the good days and the bad. And on a small piece of paper, her favorite and prized recipe for that dessert. The one she always brought to parties. The one I loved!!!

Everything was perfect. Things were right on schedule. I had had the bridal shower. We had bought gifts for everyone in our wedding party. Our honeymoon was scheduled. Joe and I were making the 5+ hour trip home every weekend. Because we had to work on the wedding. And our family was so amazing. Everyone was so excited to pitch in for our big day.

The week before our wedding, tragedy struck. There was a DWI accident that took the lives of 5 of my family members. They were on a shopping trip and were hit by a drunk driver. Killing 5 of the 6 family members in the car. It was a hard time for our family. A time that I didn't know what side was up or what side was down.

We got the news from my mom. She had been watching the news and saw their car. Her and my dad knew right away it was them. They called me and Joe. And all at once, I was numb. I couldn't feel a thing. How could 5 of my loved ones be dead?

Not just our family mourned, but our entire community mourned the loss of our family. I couldn't forget the times we had spent together. The holidays we had shared. The laughter. The good times and the bad.

On that day, a selfish man, took our family away. He made the decision to get behind the wheel of his car, and drive. For months, our community was numb. A time of happiness and love had been shattered. All for a few drinks. I still remember the family get togethers. And the times we shared. Their memories will forever live on.

One day, I will take out the pictures and show my girls. Share the stories of their lives. Tell them about my tia's laughter. How the smile always reached her eyes. How she just had a way of making the boo boos hurt less. My tio always had words of wisdom to share. He had stories to tell and lessons to share. And of the silly childhood stories of my primas. Of the days we would pick wild flowers, shop around town, or eat popsicles during the summer.

I will never forget that day, 3 years ago. The day that my family changed forever. The day that our smiles turned into tears. I will never forget the empty feeling that I had. Or of the hurt, pain, and sadness I felt the day that we buried our family. Decades too early, they were taken from our lives. Today, we will celebrate their lives. The laughter and the fun. We will remember the good times. And we will pray for our 5 angels in heaven. ♥Anna Marie♥