Thoughts from the Accident and Beyond

Daniel helped Amena out of the Durango. He tried to help me but was unable. When he couldn’t, he sat down with his knees up and his arms around his knees and put his head down and cried. Then (I might have this out of sequence but you should get the gist of things) there were angels surrounding the Durango; their feet and the bottoms of their white robes were visible. Then a semi drove by and Daniel went with the angels and suddenly people were swarming all over. It would have been somewhere in there that I heard Daniel comforting Cedric because that is sometime between when the accident happened and when the rescue people/vehicles arrived.

Daniel was given the choice of staying or leaving and chose to leave but he knew that I would understand why. Funny that I’ve spent so much time thinking about that. I do understand. Laura saw him in the Durango and said it looked like he was asleep. He didn’t have any obvious injuries which means he had internal injuries. Injuries I’m sure which included brain damage. Why did he choose to go? Because although had he stayed the same things would have been accomplished that were by his death, it would have been harder for those he left behind. He would not have been able to do the things with Paul that Paul so looked forward to. He would not have been able to do the things he used to do. He would not have been, in many ways, the same Daniel we knew and loved. If you read what he wrote in his 7^th Grade Time Capsule Journal about giving me the gift of more time, you should be able to understand why he chose to go.

Daniel was there when each of the children had any surgical procedure. He spent a lot of time, and still does, sitting on the feet of the beds of his brothers and sisters. He has been with us since the accident and will be for a while yet, but then he has a mission. I am pretty sure that he will still be able to come to us, but having helped us over the hard part, he will need to move on as nothing stays still.

Cedric was given a taste of heaven. He does not speak of it, but he remembers it and that makes living in this world difficult although it is getting better. I can see this in him. It was very difficult for him. He missed Daniel something fierce. He did not want to be here. He wanted to be with Daniel. Who can blame him?