Turning Point − 3 June, 2002
Turning down the road which led to my neighborhood, I noticed something was amiss. I had left the office early that day to drop off some paperwork at my attorney's office and had planned to take advantage of the great weather to engage in a bit of Geocaching; a hobby that I had only recently picked up. As I neared my turnoff, I noticed that traffic was being redirected by members of the volunteer fire department. My first assumption was that a gas leak had been detected.
I turned around and took the back way to my home. Once inside, I began assembling the items needed for my outdoor adventure. A knock on the door interrupted my preparations. Opening the front door, I was startled to see two highway patrol officers standing outside. OK, they are evacuating the area, I thought. "Are you Mr. Stewart?", came the question. My insides clenched as I answered. Over the next several minutes, I learned how my mother had been involved in a automobile accident which had claimed her life. I had lost my best friend. The next several days passed in a blur and the emptiness that gripped me seemed infinitely deep.
Through the kindness of friends and family, I regained my bearings and rejoined the road of life once more. Not the same person, for sure, but perhaps a stronger one.
I turned around and took the back way to my home. Once inside, I began assembling the items needed for my outdoor adventure. A knock on the door interrupted my preparations. Opening the front door, I was startled to see two highway patrol officers standing outside. OK, they are evacuating the area, I thought. "Are you Mr. Stewart?", came the question. My insides clenched as I answered. Over the next several minutes, I learned how my mother had been involved in a automobile accident which had claimed her life. I had lost my best friend. The next several days passed in a blur and the emptiness that gripped me seemed infinitely deep.
Through the kindness of friends and family, I regained my bearings and rejoined the road of life once more. Not the same person, for sure, but perhaps a stronger one.
