EVERYONE GRIEVES DIFFERENTLY
W hen A love one dies it not only effects that immediate household, but the grief, pain, devastation, and despair penetrates throughout the entire family unit. It's a known fact that Everyone Grieves differently. Unfortunately we all have to make readjustments in order to endure living the remainder of our lives without our love ones. It's an extremely difficult transition and requires all the support we could possibly gain from each other. A lot of times A death in the family can actually strengthen the family's overall relationship. But sadly, it's amazing how many families allow constant bickering, and fighting mainly over material possessions, insurance money, and funeral arrangements, etc, to totally destroy family bonds forever. Personally I feel that there's nothing, and no one worth causing me to miss out on A relationship with my family members. For whatever I need God will supply! And we all need each other, our family and friends, to survive. Just remember Everyone Grieves differently. I've heard many people say," I wanted to visit so and so, but I didn't know what to say." So they deliberately avoided the person. But the reality is that, A lot of times your presence is much more important than what you do or don't say. And sometimes the less you say, the better. I'm A witness that it's so annoying when someone's very talkative, but saying all the wrong things. When you're in the height of grief, it's more important seeing A comforting face than hearing A multitude of words. Most times there are no sufficient words to say that will alleviate the pain. So unless you know you have A special gift to comfort, A loving and genuinely caring shoulder and A listening ear is priceless. It almost seems like A tradition to allow the person in grief to be alone for A period of time immediately following the funeral. But I'd encourage anyone that's especially close to that person, to please consult with the individual to see if that's what they really want. Because as I said before, Everyone Grieves differently, and although some people prefer to be alone, there are some that detrimentally needs that ongoing support. So if you have A really close relationship with the grieving person, ask for their honest opinion, then try your utmost to accommodate to their wishes. And never, ever make them feel as though you're attempting to rush them through their recovery! Lovingly allow them to grieve at their own pace. Just because you may have been able to get over your grief in six months, doesn't mean that everyone else should be able to do the same. And it doesn't necessarily mean that you're stronger than the person that takes longer to grieve, it's just that Everyone Grieves differently. Actually I had no idea that I was in A state of shock for at least one year or longer after" Andre's" death. It wasn't until I had progressed to my next stage of healing that I realized that I had very little recollection or details of what had transpired during the previous year. It was as though I routinely went about my daily activities, but I existed in a" fogged atmosphere." What is essentially important is whether the person is exhibiting positive progress! And be grateful to God that he enabled you to be an instrument to help one of his children reach A" productive recovery." And be sure to remind yourself that Everyone Grieves differently. So since my family and I have experienced death on various occasions, we definitely can say" we never would've made it without God, each other, and the loving support of our extended family and friends.
Although other dangerous driving behaviors such as speeding and distracted driving garner more media focus, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
reports that Red-Light Running is the leading cause of motor vehicle
collisions in cities. In 2006, 171,000 motor vehicle collisions were
caused by drivers who ran red traffic lights, according to IIHS: 83,000
of these collisions caused injury, with a total of 144,000 individuals
injured, and 791 of these collisions caused death, with a total of 887
individuals killed. Red-Light Running currently costs taxpayers at least $14
billion per year. In addition to the monetary cost, the cost of Red-Light Running in human costs is high; fatalities from collisions due
to Red-Light Running are increasing at more than three times the rate
of increase for all other deadly crashes, and more people are injured in
motor vehicle crashes caused by drivers who run red lights than in any
other type of crash. And it isn't just Red-Light Runners themselves who
suffer; over half of the fatalities in collisions caused by drivers who
run red lights are other motorists and pedestrians. And the fear
engendered by Red-Light Runners is pervasive; in a survey performed by
Old Dominion University, 56 percent of Americans admit to running red
lights; yet 96 percent of drivers were afraid of being hit by a Red Light Runner. Every driver makes a decision when approaching an intersection where the light has just turned red. Today in America, way too often, the yellow light has come to symbolize," hurry up,"instead of,: slow down." Impatient drivers often choose to continue through the intersection, ignoring the law and putting other lives at risk. A 2005 review of red light camera studies around the world concluded that cameras reduce red light violations by 40-50 percent, and reduce injury crashes by 25-30 percent.
' ANDRE, ' MORGAN, DESHAWN, DADDY, MICHEAL, AND JACKIE,
