I’m sitting in the exact spot that we were standing 11 years ago tonight that Sam was not going to live.  A few hours earlier sam and his friends Parker and Eric had been out scootering while on vacation in Tampa…  a car swerved to avoid Eric and hit Sam. He was taken to the hospital as we got the call that he’d been injured. Somehow  we managed to  call billy, he called the doctors  at Clearwater hospital and got the news. He called to tell us.. it must have been so hard for hm to do.. I will always appreciate that it was him 

Diane and I were standing in this exact spot….  I can still feel how unreal it seemed.. 

it seems so unreal even now.

Earlier that day Sam had called and left a message for me about his trip. He was having so much fun.. I listened to the message again today.. as I have every year since..  You can hear it here.. 

Last phone message from Sam   

I miss him so much every day.. now the feeling is not so sharp. it’s like an ache.. but sweet with memories. What a great, great  kid..   

I miss you my son. We will always love you. 

These are hard stories to mix.. but I need to share something else

This morning  I learned that my cousin Leslie’s daughter Rachel died 2 days agao. Rachel was 26 and had a 3 yer old daughter Kennedy. I spoke with Leslie and her husband Brett for a while  today.. I’ so sad for them.. I didn’t know what to say to them today.

I know that there’s nothing really to say.. I wish them peace

I wish us all peace. 

nite all, nite sam

-me