As Hard as It Is, It’s Important to Remember Our Lost Loved Ones
In the aftermath of the unexpected, traumatic, violent deaths of my two youngest daughters due to a truck underride crash on May 4, 2013, I quickly acted on a desire to preserve memories of AnnaLeah and Mary. Forever 17 and 13, I did not want them forgotten. These precious ones, gone too soon, had their lives snatched away in the blink of an eye. Their futures, which would have been, will never be.
My grief and my anger over the decades of government and industry inaction to address senseless underride tragedies, has fueled my advocacy efforts. Simply put, I don’t want others to face the same devastating tragedy that my family has endured. There are too many of us in this club which no one ever plans to join. But, together, our voices can be heard and we can play a pivotal role in bringing about change to make our roads safer.
Unfortunately, even nine plus years later, much of my time and energy revolves around remembering how these unsuspecting victims of vehicle violence lost their lives. Understandably, that takes a toll -- which is why, on the World Day of Remembrance, grieving families and friends around the globe will be honoring countless road user victims. As hard as it may be to be reminded of our unfathomable losses, they deserve to be remembered well and, as we do so, there is solace for our souls.
too often, it's hard, I know
to find a space where one can recall
not how they died
but how they lived & who they were
a place for grateful reflections
Then, refueled, we must get back to it -- pounding the pavement and calling for a greater sense of urgency from those who have the power to take significant action, so that many lives might be preserved.
Marianne Karth
November 17, 2022