BRIDGES......... FALLING DOWN

It wasn't until early in the evening on August 1st that I truly realized how well his hand fit into mine.  How soft his skin was, how green his eyes were, how he moved and the sound of his voice, became new to me again.   The tragedy that we all felt when the bridge collapsed became a surprising gift to me.  The gift of appreciation for the man I love with all of my heart.

Al began his day cursing the alarm clock at 5am.  Truck drivers start out as early as they can to avoid the morning rush hour traffic.  He had to be in Herman, MN by 9am.  When I called him with our mandatory 8am phone call, he had already blown out a tire and had done a lot of damage to his truck.

A blown tire is like a stick of dynamite on a big rig. 

He was limping his way home, knowing that the rest of the day required eight new tires, loss of a days pay and severe damage to his truck.  The rest of the day sucked- money, hard work, sweat and blood, became the offering to the gods   Give it all up just to go back out there tomorrow. 

He crossed that bridge twice that day.

The ‘what if's' flooded every quiet tuck away in my heart.  What if he hadn't blown a tire and had to come back early?  What if he had made it through the day and was stuck on that bridge?  What if the bridge had collapsed earlier in the day when he was on it?  What if I had lost him?

Every time I looked at him, a ‘what if' washed over me like a tidal wave.

Holding his hand had never felt so good.

I realize that my story is so small in comparison to the ones that truly suffered the loss of a loved one buried beneath the rubble of the bridge. 

This tragedy serves as a reminder to me and perhaps you as well.   Never take for granted the one that loves you each and every day.  Look into their eyes, feel their hand in yours and be thankful that they could have been the last car or truck to pass over that bridge.  All this, just so they could come home to you.

Linda Schutz    August 2007