I'm so sad.....(A chapter in the book of my life)

[etexmom]

 Jacob and I took a trip to Van today.  I didn't know if you knew or not, but he had a BAD car accident June 25th.  He was returning from a 4-day trip to Padre Island with some of his friends he'd graduated with and around 10 p.m., he was 3 miles from home & was crossing a 5-lane hwy.  We're not sure why, but he never completely stopped and a Tahoe t-boned his new vehicle that he'd bought just 2 weeks earlier.  He was air lifted to ETMC.  He arrived with broken ribs, punctured lung, ruptured spleen, bruised kidney and a severe concussion.  He spent the next 8 days in the hospital there & the Dr.'s were sure that due to his age & health, he'd recover just fine with no long-term problems.  Ronnie and I came home the first night and decided to stay in Tyler, near him, the remainder of his stay.  Today was almost 4 weeks from the day of his wreck and he had a follow-up appt. for CT scan and chest x-ray.  The trauma Dr. said he's doing fine and he released him from his care.  He can return to work and to going to the gym in 2-3 weeks. 
His new car ('08 Chevy Cobalt) was totalled and he needed replacement wheels.  The insurance settled quickly and he was able to replace the wrecked car with another '08 Cobalt.  This one is a little nicer.  He got this & the last car all on his own merit.  Putting several thousand that he'd saved down, and making mothly pmts., without mom or dad or anyone, co-signing for him.  All this while working a part-time job and going to school full-time.  He is anxious to return to work, as he is getting bored.  We keep telling him that he's got the rest of his life to work, to just enjoy the time off.  Visit friends, organize & clean your room (ha!) and spend time with family that you don't get to see often.
Now to the reason for the "subject" of this letter.  After his final visit to ETMC today, we took a trip down memory lane to Van. (since we weren't that far) When we moved from there 9 1/2 yrs. ago, Jacob was 9 1/2 and did not want to move from there.  We'd lived there since he was 2 yrs. old, and it's the only place we'd lived that he could remember.  He told us when we moved back to this area that when he grew up, he was going to move back to Van, buy that same house and live there forever.  Well, he did grow to like where we live and after our trip back to Van today, he sees that places just do not stand frozen in time, but that things & places change.  Our house there doesn't even resemble the place we called "home".  Our neighbors, Mr. & Mrs. Cook, are no longer there, as they have passed on.  The little cypress tree that I had planted as a little sapling in the back field was big and beautiful. I was glad to see some reminder that we'd actually resided there & the beautiful cypress was proof.  On up the road.......Mrs. Thornton's brick house had been spray-painted yellow and her 1-car garage had been converted into a room with a bay window.  Her rose bushes were no longer there, but replaced with a small flower bed.  The Lenz's must have moved into their ranch-style home that they'd been building for almost 10 yrs.  Their previous house on our street had no sign of them ever living there. (When you have 6 kids there's always proof in the yard)  A trip down Main St. was disappointing, as the City Pharmacy has been closed and the nursing home where we visited Mrs. Thornton many times, had weeds growing up everywhere and a "For Sale" sign out front.  The Sno-cone stand further down the road, showed no sign of life.  WHAT?  No Sno-cone stand open in the middle of July?  What's up with that?  The kids used to leave the city pool on their bikes and ride to the sno-cone stand.  They had the BEST italian ice sno-cones this side of Longview!!  I began to reminisce of the years we'd lived there.  All 8 of them.  They were GOOD years.  My 2 boys had alot of firsts there.  First time to ride a bike without training wheels.  First time to go to school, ride a bus, have a pet rabbit, have box turtles as pets......I could go on & on.  They were GREAT years!  I miss that little town, but it is no longer the same.  Time moves on, kids grow up, some people move away and some die.  I will always treasure the memories of that town in my heart.  I made many friends and memories there, but the town of Van is but a short chapter in the book of my life.

[tsjpop]

Jul. 23, 2009 at 4:47 AM

I too know all too well exactly what you mean by this journal. Just keep the memories close to your heart.

[Kajenloca]

Jul. 23, 2009 at 8:40 AM

First, I am so glad that Jacob is okay! Second, I so can relate to this story. I know we must go on with life (and that is not a bad thing), but it is sad to see the changes from the sweet memories you have captured. HUGS.

[shadow750]

Jul. 23, 2009 at 9:31 PM

What a nice post.  I totally understand what you mean.  A couple years ago I had a reunion with old friends I hadn't seen in 30 years.  Kids I hung out with when I was a teenager and we all lived in the same neighborhood in Rhode Island.   We drove by the old neighborhood and it was so different.  Well, 30 years is a long time obviously...but still...great memories from back then!   They say you can never go back, but you can alway keep the memories close to your heart!   Love ya!!

[MamaDiane]

Jul. 27, 2009 at 7:12 AM

Time truly does move on!

So glad your son will be okay - I have thought of you and prayed many times since I read about the accident.

[OldnWiseMom]

Sep. 2, 2009 at 1:46 AM

I know what you mean.  I grew up in Pearland, TX, and our house was on a dead-end dirt road, and the best place in town was the corner grocery store. 

 

[lradant]

Aug. 1, 2010 at 11:52 PM

So happy to hear Jacob has recovdered. Loved reading your post and feeling those same feelings as my own are growing and leaving home and becomeing their own. Although we live in the same town we always have...things have changed and the childhood memories are just that...memories. But great ones and along the way and down the road we will add to them. HUGS!