For Aaron Christian Buda

                Yesterday, around 8 AM, an accident occurred on Eastbound 496 that backed up traffic in either direction for miles, eventually closing down the Eastbound lanes. Six cars were involved in the accident. One of those cars caught fire mere seconds after the accident. The driver of that car, Aaron Christian Buda, did not survive.

He was 24.

                Aaron was married to Jennifer. I do not know Jennifer, and I did not know Aaron. I cannot even begin to imagine the intense pain that Jennifer feels right now, or the panic that struck the moment she heard the news that her husband of only two years had passed away.

                Whenever I hear news like this, I automatically become an investigator. I did it with 9/11 and the Newtown tragedy. I want to see what I can find out about the actual people in these news stories, since all the news seems to give us is cold facts and tragedy. And that’s fair. The news sources are supposed to inform us of the events that go on in our world and, unfortunately, those events have not been very blissful as of late.

                Here is what I found out: Aaron was a fun loving young man. From what I could gather, he and his wife had a very happy and loving relationship. In his wife’s profile picture, the couple is shown participating in what looks to be a charity event. From the comments on Aaron’s profile picture, it seems as if Aaron was surrounded by a very loving and warm family. In that profile picture, Aaron has a look of joy on his face and is holding a coffee mug, which is fitting because Aaron worked for Biggby.

                Aaron and Jennifer were married on October 30, 2012. That’s exactly 27 months ago. To me, that doesn’t seem like much time at all. I’m sure it doesn’t seem like much time to Jennifer either. However, to her, I am sure those 27 months are filled with unforgettable memories and moments. Contrarily, I am sure that these next few weeks, months, and maybe years will be filled with mourning and tears that will only be dried by the memory of Aaron.

                I, myself, am getting married this May. In the past, my investigation into these life stories has been droll and brief. However, this time, I caught myself. I was crying. Like I said, I didn’t know Aaron, or Jennifer, or anyone in their families, and I don’t pretend to. I was simply another driver caught in traffic on a Tuesday morning. My curiosity got the best of me, and I began waiting for them to identify the driver. As soon as his name was released, I logged onto Facebook and immediately found Aaron. And I found Jennifer. Seeing them smile together made this news story different to me. I was suddenly struck with sadness for what this poor woman is now forced to endure. And yet, I was hit with a bit of happiness in realizing that she is enveloped in such a loving family.

                There is not a single one of us in this life that knows the exact moment of when we will pass away. Aaron didn’t know. Jennifer was not preparing herself for Aaron to die that morning. But they knew love. Love for one another, the love of family, and the love of the Lord. I am very grateful that I took the moment to see that. My heart breaks for Jennifer and the Buda family, but I am comforted to know that they have each other. And I will think of them in the months ahead as I move toward my own commitment of life and love.

I hope you will, too.