Measure Your Words

Last weekend, I was going to post about the lack of snow, but then, they predicted nearly 12 inches in our area for this weekend. Unexpectedly, I then had to have a dental procedure preformed, delaying the post. Then, tragedy struck our family. My nephew was killed in a motorcycle-car accident this week. He collided with a car that pulled out in front of him. Ironically, he was to be deployed to Afghanistan soon and he had completed 2 trips to Iraq. The accident happened in the state where he was stationed. His father, my brother, lives in another state and we will be traveling there as soon as his final arrangements have been made. I have been scouring the Internet for stories on the the accident, trying to make sense of this tragedy. What I have discovered, is that people do not measure their words carefully enough. The trooper who was at the scene of the accident said this, "Pretty, pretty tough. Very traumatic and, ah (pause) ah, I think it would be hard to overcome for some time for the individual that was driving the vehicle that pulled into the path of the victim" I am quite sure it will be hard for that individual, but, how about it being pretty tough for my brother, his son's mother and siblings to overcome? My latest favorite is the comment made by one of the residents who lives on the road where he was killed. When speaking of the dangers of the road, said "What's it going to take? That's a soldier, yeah, but what about our children?”. Well, guess what, he was some one's child! I don't understand people's inability to think before they speak. I never will. I grew up in a home with an alcoholic father, who had no filter what so ever. You can only believe the words "I'm sorry but.....I didn't mean it" for so long. I decided to measure my words early on, so that I would not hurt someone or have to take them back. Three take aways...1) Hug your family and tell them you love them. Life is short and you never know when God will call you home. 2) Please, please, please look twice for motorcycles. 3) Measure your words. They can hurt someone. Yes, they can be forgiven, but they are hard to forget.