The morning of August 18, 2011 started like any other typical day. We were living in Irving at the time. This particular morning was shipment day, so I had been busy in the vault receiving and verifying money. When I finally made it back to my station I checked my phone, expecting maybe one or two text messages, but instead I saw tons of missed phone calls. I figured something had happened but when I called my mom back, I never expected to hear that it had to do with my brother. My mom could hardly speak when I called her and she handed the phone to my aunt who then proceeded to tell me what had happened. I remember asking her if she was sure, as if she would be lying. I knew she wasn't, but I kept thinking maybe someone had made a mistake and it wasn't really him. I think I might have screamed or said something loudly, because I remember everyone around me looking up at me.
If you've ever lost a person close to you, you can probably imagine my state of mind. It was a chaotic mix of emotions masked by a state of surrealism. I felt myself going through the motions of life, but I felt like an outsider who could only see things rather than actually experiencing
them. To this day, I sometimes feel that state creep up on me, but they seldom happen.
If you're wondering what caused the accident, we are still a little unsure of the exact reason. What we do know is that my brother took a curve too quickly and lost control. His vehicle flipped two and a half times before landing in a nearby field. He wasn't wearing his seatbelt and was thrown out of the vehicle and died on impact. It's possible that he was distracted while driving, but nothing was verified. All I know is that this experience has made me a stronger advocate for no texting and driving!
I cannot say this enough: Cherish your family! Human nature fools us into thinking that we are invincible and that bad things will never happen to us or our families. The reality is, it does and it will. It happened to us not only with my brother but with my cousin. A year before my brother died, we lost my cousin in a car accident as well. My sister was in that same accident and, by the grace of God, she is still here with us. Not a day goes by that I don't think about Jonathon. I would gladly give up lots of things in my life to have him back even if just for a day. I helped my mom raise him and take care of him. He was my big, little brother and I will never forget the impact he had on my life and family. I look forward to seeing him again, but until then, I will do all I can to keep his memory alive.
This blog is dedicated to him. His death helped me find another passion and talent. Photography. Photography has helped me deal with death by focusing all my energy into something positive. We didn't have many photos of him so I hope to use that as motivation to capture moments for others.
If you're wondering how I came up with my logo..my brother Jonathon is the inspiration for that. As a kid he was chubby and my mom gave him the nickname fat boy. He hated it but as he got older the name caught on to more people. Although he didn't like it, he will always be my fat boy.