A tragedy happened 7 years ago for my family and me. It was two days after Christmas in 2004. My aunt and uncle, who were brother and sister, were driving to go to her boyfriend’s basketball game at Cayuga Community College at 7:10pm Monday night. Not even a mile down the road from their house and mine an accident happened. There was a truck parked in the middle of the road on a hill with their lights off. My uncle, who was driving, went to swerve to avoid an on-coming vehicle and he hit a black piece of ice, lost control, and crashed into a metal barn on the passenger side. We believe my aunt died instantly because the top of the seat belt hit her temple. My uncle Kim, who is a fire fighter and was at the scene, thought he saw her take her last breath. All I remember is my grandma, grandpa and my cousin coming over, and my mom looking at me and saying aunt LuLu and uncle Brandon got into a car accident and we have to go to the hospital. I tried to do everything I could to go, but she wouldn't let me. I went upstairs to my bedroom and sat on my bed. My cousin followed me and I told her I have a feeling my aunt died. She said, "No everything's going to be alright." My parents were gone for hours. I stayed up just waiting for them to walk through the door. Finally, my mom walked into the house crying. I automatically knew something was wrong. She took me upstairs and we sat on her bed. My mom’s exact words were "Aunt LuLu is up in Heaven". I remember at that point thinking I lost my best friend! I looked out my mom’s bedroom window because my aunt and uncle lived across the street from us and I saw my uncle walking into the house with crutches and my family following him. So we went over and I walked inside, passed everyone and went straight to the computer room where my uncle was and gave him a hug and told him I loved him. At that point I saw my aunt’s boyfriend and the tears that were rolling down his and my families face- it killed me. My grandma was a train wreck! I asked my mom ‘Why does God take good people?’ She told me she didn’t know. A couple days later were the calling hours. There were some many people there the line of people went all the way down the road. I went and had to have the closest seat to her. I thought I could be a strong young girl and not cry but I balled, screaming and praying to god not to take her, but it was too late. I was about to leave the funeral home which I didn't want to leave because, I would of I left I would never see her again.
A couple years later I asked my mom more about what happened cause I was only 7 at the time. My mom told me there were more than 150 friends and families. Also that the whole boys basketball game came because they’re game got cancelled after the coach found out what happened. He stopped the game. Because there were so many people at the hospital they moved her next to the morgue because it was bigger. My uncle was in the emergency department and was asking repeatedly what happened. The family couldn't tell him because he was hooked up to heart monitors. He saw the whole family crying. He knew it wasn't good. I also asked my mom when she was telling me more information "Did they ever catch the guy in the truck?" She replied, "No he drove away and the people that lived on the house moved away." I thought, ‘Wow how could people do that?”
In June of 2010 my uncle told my family and I two days before he left that he signed up for the military and he was leaving. My grandma, his mom, was so upset because she didn't even know. My uncle would always call and write messages to the family and say what he was doing. In August of 2010 my grandma, my uncle’s friend and I drove to Kentucky to go pick him up from basic training camp. He looked so different, but it was so good to see him. I always asked him why he joined the military, but he always ignored that question. So I thought to myself, does he think he killed my aunt? I know he didn’t; it was an accident. So to this day I always wonder what she is doing in heaven.
This whole tragedy changed my life. I've learned from this to hold your loved ones close: don't waste your time hating people. You never know when you will lose somebody special. I know this because I lost my best friend, my role model and a wonderful brilliant sophomore who played basketball, softball, cheer leading, field hockey and volleyball. My Aunt LuLu and I did everything together. I still remember to this day all the memories we had and how much fun we had! Just a wonderful smart 16-year-old girl who died in an accident that should have never happened. This accident has changed my life and made me realize to stop the hate and get alone with everybody because one second they can be there, the next second they can be gone!