Arlington National Cemetery (my son's final resting place)

As many of you writers have read much of my poetry. I must say thank you for your kind words and sympathy for me when I lost my dear son, Bobby. I miss him so very much, it's been 3 long years, a huge amount of poetry, me fighting sleep and dealing with my manic/depression. Robert (Bobby) was killed on tax day, April 15, 2007 around 9:30 pm. by a drunk driver. It was a head on collision of the worst kind. Bobby had just gotten off of work, he had just made manager at his job and was planning on buying a car and getting his driver's license the next day, when tragedy struck.

I got the call about 2:30 am from my cousin George bearing such horrific news to my ears. I was awake and beading earrings when I got the phone call. I knew it but I didn't want to believe it; the only solace I have in this is that he died swiftly and did not suffer long. I fumbled for and dropped my package of cigarettes to the floor in disbelief at what I was hearing. My son Bobby was dead and taken to the morgue.

My middle daughter and I called family and friends, to tell them what happened. Rob's closest friends came over to my house and we sat around my dining room table. We searched each others tear-streaked faces wondering why and how such a thing could have happened.to such a wonderful young man, and who was to blame for this atrocity? A truck driver came out of no where heading in the wrong direction crashed into their vehicle while they were sitting at the stop light. The jaws of life had to be used to retrieve the driver who was in a coma, broken bones and bruised body. His wife riding along side of him was pronounced dead at the scene. Their tiny son of four years old was riding in his car-seat in the back seat of the car. Next to him, satmy son, whom it is said that he had perhaps seen it coming, as he was found half-way strapped in his seat belt. It was told tomoe by several people including the attending police officer that he had reached over and barricaded the tiny tot with his own body upon impact of the two vhicles. The little boy had been scalped but was awake during it all and described what happened and what his friend Bobby did.

My son had been in the U. S. Marines a few years earlier, was home on an honorable humanitarian unit discharge in order to take care of his siblings and myself when I had become quite ill with bipolar disorder. He was a very sober, caring individual. He will be honored at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D. C. on July 30th, 2010 at 9am. I am so proud to be his mom and I just wanted to share this with all of you authors and poets. The little boy's name is Xavier and he is the sweetest little tyke you ever saw. He has a little trouble walking from spinal injuries but has healed very well, he misses his mommy so very much and will never forget his friend Bobby or what happened to him that fateful night. I am writing this blog, painful as it is as a warning to not drink and drive, please help keep us all safe and alive...

Reviews

[Ice QueenJen]

How profound that I am reading this as tax day has passed. Even though it has been sometime since your son has passed I'm hoping that with God's help the pain has lessened. May he always be remembered for the good he did too.

[lawrence bear]

thank you for sharing this story with us, as it takes a great amount of strength to open up to those you do not know. I admire you for that. It is a step forward in healing oneself from such a tragedy. And one does not know what one feels or goes through, but we do have an idea. I am sorry for your loss, do take care.

lawrence

[Art]

How tragic that one loses their son through an accident that not only takes the lives of others but leaves the entire families with no answers...sad and yet one is saved through anothers loss...my sympathy to you and your family...

[Carrie Montgomery]

wow. took me a LONG time to work up the courage to read this. I am sorry it took so long. Very touching. I could sense both your pride for your son and your hurt for your loss. I am sorry, my dear friend, that you have had to endure such a loss and fear this world is much less blessed without your young man in it. I am amazed that through your pain comes such an eloquent voice. I am thankful for the opportunity to have gotten to know a little about your son through your healing process!

[Su' Nacnetaf]

It was a little hard for me to read this, I always connect to what I read, and I usually read it out loud, at some point I started to feel your loss as if it was mine also. It must be hard, but thanks for sharing all of this with us.

[George Love]

Wonderful tribute.

[Valentine]

A sad but beautiful tribute to your son..death hurts no matter how it happens, trying to understand why? Is the hard part in life..God bless you and yours..Kathie

[alternative_be]

My own dad died earlier this year, so I am dealing with loss myself, but I cannot begin to imagine what you must be going through, because every death is so different. Certainly the circumstances surrounding someone's death have a deep impact on how you are grieving/ dealing with someone's passing...
Some people (who in my opninion have no idea) say that one shouldn't be grieving for more than one year, but to me it all depends on personal factors and external circumstances. You have a lot to deal with, not only death, but also the circumstances, the accident, the pointlesness and the fact that children should not die before their parents.
I think the fact that your son got the honour of being buried at Arlington and that he saved a child's life must make you proud.
Please keep on writing to warn people off drink and drive and hopefully it helps you through your ongoing grieving proces.

[DrumMajorPod]

Again, I am so sorry to hear of your loss.. though I feel you should also be so proud of your son. It may sound strange, but he looks really familiar to me. I'm not sure why.. maybe I've seen him before? Just remember that you're never alone. He's always watching over you..

[Color Me Gone]

How heartbreaking. I cannot imagine any worse nightmare than to lose a child.