before I was far enough away from this situation to feel comfortable enough to post these pictures.
This post isn’t about the pictures…it’s about the young man in the middle of this shot and his best friend. They were headed to our house to see Nicole one night. Traveling along one of the large irrigation canals and feeling young and immortal. Nothing that all young people haven’t done at one point or another in their lives. No drugs, no alcohol…just young blood running through their veins and feeling alive.
The car went into the canal, flipped as it did and landed upside down. The windows were all up, the car was immediately full of water and these two special young men could have had their lives ended in that moment. Miraculously, they both found their way out of one of the back windows. That makes those moments they lived through sound so trivial…believe me, they lived lifetimes in those minutes.
The boys walked, soaking wet and thankful to be alive, to our house. We got them into warm, dry clothes and then Greg and I went to find their car. It was the eeriest feeling. It was dark and quiet as we stepped out of our truck when we saw where they went over the edge. The car lights were still on and the only sound was the water rushing around the one tire that was breaking the surface. I cried and was so frightened. What if they hadn’t gotten out? When would someone have found them? It’s too awful to think about.
We were along the canal for several hours. First waiting for the sheriff’s deputy to get there, then the wrecker, then a second wrecker with a boom. It was cold and somber. Once we accepted we had only “things” to worry about and that everything that was important was standing next to us wrapped in blankets, I couldn’t help but pull out my camera.
The car was a total loss but what mattered was that these young men were alive and would continue to be a part of our lives and their family’s lives for hopefully decades to come.
Jorge and Tyler I love you and I can’t tell you how much I believe the world would have been such a diminished place without you in it. You have a purpose and a reason for being and I’m glad I’ll get to see those things come to pass.
13 comments:
ugh....well we are sadly resonating a bit today....glad they lived though...someone was watching out for them that night...
What an amazing story! One of those events that will probably shape the rest of their lives. Do the rest of us know how to escape from such a disaster? Probably not.
They're very lucky. I'm glad they made it out in one piece. There are lessons in these moments. May they remember them and be thankful that they have a second chance.
I think there's an investigative reporter in you:)
They were very lucky indeed.
Such a reminder of how much Life is precious.
Lucky young men. They'll remember...
It's things like this that give us parents grey hair. I can only imagine how frightened they were. I'm glad they are OK.
They are lucky and will no doubt always remember the experience and your kindness.
What a life-changing experience for those young men to have. I think I would have panicked in such a situation. Thankfully they kept their wits about them. Your eerie photos tell a story themselves. It'll be interesting to see what those young men are like 25 years down the road.
What a life-change experience for sure.
Your pictures hit the pit of my stomach but you took them beautifully!
Just stopping by to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.
hope you had a great thanksgiving!
Wow how scary. So thankful those young men are alive today.
Are you away from blogging forever? Maybe you will never read this. Who knows. MB
Happy new year Nancy!!!
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