's Daily Message - PLEASE DRIVE SAFELY

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's Daily Message

Saturday

January 28, 2006

PLEASE DRIVE SAFELY

When I was about 7 or 8 years old, I asked my dad why we didn`t have a car.

Other people in the neighborhood had one, so why couldn`t we? My father told

me he and my mom were in a very serious car accident many years ago and

decided never to drive a car again. He wouldn`t let me ask any questions. He

told me once, and I never asked about the incident again.

I didn`t get my driver`s license until I was 22 years old. I studied that

booklet morning, noon, and night, and then I took driving lessons. I have to

tell you I was petrified to get behind the wheel of that car. My father and

mother`s accident story stayed with me all these years. When I started

driving regularly, I learned very quickly to be a careful and wise driver. I

don`t drive on highways. I take the side streets. I, like yourself, have

been on many streets, and I`ve seen the car wrecks, the ambulances, and the

injured.

There is a lady I would like to tell you about in this message to you today.

When I was in Canton, Ohio and visited the acute care center to meet

and his wife, a, I also met just about everyone in every room. I was

walking down the hallway, and a lady came up to me and asked if I would come

visit her daughter. Well, I walked in the room singing and said hello to

this beautiful girl in her early 20`s. I noticed that both her hands were

tucked in under the sheet, and before I could say anything, her mother

spoke.

" My daughter was left a quadriplegic resulting from a very serious car

accident. " I got up very close to her face, kissed her cheek, and at the

same time, a tear fell from her eye onto my cheek, and I kissed her again. I

stayed a while in her room, and when I left, she slowly opened her mouth and

mouthed the words, " Thank you. I love you. "

Please, please drive safely.

Love,