We were up at our hunting camp for the weekend. 120 miles from home, in an old potato farmhouse that was 75 years old with 7 bedrooms, we brought up all our friends with their kids for a time of fun, laughter and making memories.
Just a few miles down the road was a bridge over the Genesee River where the kids loved to jump, swim and play. The sounds of summer filled the air as the kids jumped off the bridge squealing with delight as they hit the water and swam to shore. The reality of life seemed so far away for the adults as they watched their kids swim and have a ball. This is what we came for, to appreciate the beauty of Whitesville NY, and to escape life for a little while.
My husband and I were watching the kids intently as they jumped off the bridge. Our 9-year of daughter was they only kid missing the fun. She opted to spend the night at a neighboring farmer who has a daughter her age. Tammy had swum the Genesee River many times and loved jumping off the bridge. Looking back in hindsight, what a blessing it was that she was not there that day.
It happened so fast: the squeal of the tires, the sound of the thump, the shocked silence, and then the tears. We were so busy watching the kids, we never thought about our beagle dog Misty. On this remote country road, we never gave traffic a thought. What traffic went by was usually a tractor going 5 miles per hour. Where did this car come from? And why was he going so fast? Those questions were never answered. In the horror of the following minutes, we gathered our children away from the scene. My husband Chris was on his knees sobbing besides Misty, who lay in the stillness of death. Misty was everyone's favorite dog. She roamed our neighborhood at will, often stopping for a treat at each of her friends, our neighbors. Now, the neighbors were with us and witnessed her death. It was not something they would ever forget.
In shock and horror, we all got in to our cars to drive back up to the farm. Knowing the weekend was completely ruined; everyone decided to go home, except for my husband Chris and I. While Chris buried Misty underneath an apple tree, I went and got Tammy and prayed for the right words to tell to her about her dog. I'll never forget the look on her face when I told her that Misty had died. Never having experience death before, Tammy asked me where Misty was. "Misty's happy in heaven Tammy, chasing bunny rabbits all over the place", I told my daughter. "Are there really bunny rabbits in heaven, Mom?" Tammy wanted to know. I said, "You know what Tammy? Some day we will find out."
Seven years and a million memories later, Chris and I got that phone call that no parent should ever have to live through. An anonymous call early one evening telling us that there was an accident, and that our daughter Tammy who was 16 was involved. Not able to get any more information from the anonymous caller, I frantically called 911. The police said there was an accident, but that the information on the accident was incomplete. They suggested that we come down to the police station and by the time we got there they would know more. How hard I prayed during the 3-mile drive! I was half way through the Lord's Prayer, when I couldn't pray any longer. My spirit already knew what my mind was not yet told!
Tammy was the designated driver for 3 very drunk 21-year-old men. When the young men were about to drive the 4 miles to get a movie, Tammy volunteered to drive them. After all, her mother always told her to never let her friends drive drunk. Unfortunately, people don't realize that even though they are the designated driver, their lives may still be in danger. When Tammy wouldn't drive faster, Steven in the front seat besides her, put his foot over hers on the gas petal, took the control of the steering wheel away from her, and when they reached 80 miles per hour they went out of control. Tammy and Steven were both ejected and killed instantly, the 2 in the back seat walked away with minor injuries.
There began the darkest days of mourning that I thought would either kill me, or never end. Sometimes the pain would be so bad, I would pray that God in His mercy would take me home. But, I had a 7 year old son who desperately needed me, and a husband who was as lost in the misery as I. I was not a very religious person, but it was during those days that I felt the presence of God giving me strength when I felt I couldn't go on. I knew that nothing would bring Tammy back. But I prayed to God to at least let me know that she was all right.
During the days that followed, we gave away most of Tammy's cloths to friends who I knew would appreciate them. It was about 3 months later that I received the strangest phone call of my life
Yvette was one of the recipients of Tammy's cloths and winter boots. Yvette was cleaning out her closet one day when she picked up Tammy's winter boots. Upon touching the boots, she "heard" Tammy's voice deeply in her spirit asking her to give her mother a message. Yvette rebelled at the thought of giving me this message because it was so off the wall. She knew we were deeply in mourning and she didn't want to say or do anything that would upset us any further. So for several weeks, she kept the message to herself. But the voice in her spirit would not let up. As time went on, she felt more urgency in her spirit to give me the message.
The phone rang one day several months after the accident. I could hear the nervousness in Yvette's voice. She said she had something to tell me, but didn't want to upset me. I encouraged Yvette not to be afraid to talk to me. I knew that anything she had to say couldn't possibly make things any worse. Yvette proceeded to tell me how she was cleaning her closet and came across Tammy's winter boots. Upon touching the boots she heard Tammy's voice urging her to give her mother this message. Yvette then told me how she struggled with this message for many weeks before dredging up the courage to call me. "Please Yvette, what is the message?" She said, " Tammy said to tell you that "YES MOM, THERE ARE BUNNY RABBITS IN HEAVEN!"