Remembering Shannon...one year later.

(Jill, Spencer, Scott, a pregnant me, and Shannon being a goof in the background. He was always so much fun to be around. :) This was after a ISU vs. Nebraska game.)

Yesterday was a difficult day. We remembered that day one year ago, having received a call from Spencer who'd just received a call that his brother and our beloved friend and former 'roomate' Shannon had been in a motorcycle accident and they didn't know what the status was yet. Immediately I had the questions going through my mind. Was he critical? Was he just skinned up but ok? Was he...gone? Those few hours of waiting to hear back from Spencer felt so long, and I thought about the family, what they were going through was a thousand times worse.

I remember when Scott received the phone call back from Spencer, he was sitting on one of the

couches watching TV. Scott's parents were also here, his dad Jerry, had fallen asleep on the other couch. His mom Linda, had gone downstairs to do something. Lincoln was napping soundly in his room. I was sitting at the kitchen table, but I don't remember why. I remember when the phone rang, looking at Scott because I knew it had to be Spencer. Scott was staring at me, he knew I wanted to know right then how Shannon was. Then I saw him do what I didn't want to see him do, he shook his head from side to side with his eyes filling with tears. I said, "no. no. no. don't tell me that." Scott hung up the phone and was walking toward me. I said, "Scott, no, don't tell me that," and I just started sobbing and he started sobbing as he leaned down and held me. I remember I was saying "no, Shannon, no". Then Linda walked up stairs and saw us and didn't register exactly what we would be crying about. She leaned down and asked me what was the matter and I said "Shannon". I asked Scott then what Spencer had said exactly and he said Spencer's words were "we lost him".

(Scott and Shannon golfing, one of the summers he lived with us)

I just sobbed, sobbed for the loss of Shannon, sobbed for the family, especially his parents Steve & Jody, and his brothers Steven & Spencer, sobbed for Spencer having to hear those words as they were in the car headed to the Illinois hospital, sobbed for the fact that they turned around and were headed home to figure out what to do next. My sobbing that day didn't stop, until I fell asleep. Although we know Shannon was in Heaven and not suffering and was looking down on all who loved and just lost him, the fact remained, the world had lost an amazing friend, son, brother, uncle, and so on...

A year has passed and the pain from the loss of Shannon remains, but the memories of him make us cherish and be thankful for the fact that we were priveledged enough to have him as a friend, as a roomate, as part of our lives for the time he was here. We love you and miss you so much Shannon.

(Shannon holding a then 6 day old Lincoln, he was living with us when we brought Lincoln home.)

(Shannon and Ozzy. Our dogs, Ozzy & Jack, loved have 'their Shannon' live with us! He spoiled them with lots of lovey snuggles and attention.)

(Our mailboxes when Shannon lived with us. They went in order of height, which as you can see, I'm on the bottom being the shortest, so I could reach. :) This mailbox will never be changed.)

(An 'oldie but a goodie'. Shannon at our wedding reception. 8-30-03.)


THIS BLOG POST IS DEDICATED IN LOVING MEMORY TO:

SHANNON JACOB SMITH
12/16/82-5/24/09

*Please note, some of these pictures were taken from Shannon's facebook memorial page, "Shannon Smith, Never Forgotten". I didn't take all of these, I hope their photographers don't mind my using them.

(Shannon's grave marker, before the headstone was placed.)

(The balloon we released on 12/16/09, the first birthday, his 26th, that Shannon wasn't 'here' for.)

(The front of the gorgeous headstone.)

(The back. Notice the initials at the bottom. UMC-United Methodist Church; BSA-Boy Scouts of America; ISU-Iowa State University; FH-Farmhouse Fraternity; P&G-Procter & Gamble; HD-Harley Davidson.)

(The beautiful memorial bench at Shannon's church in Woodward, IA)

(The beautiful bench at the cemetary, an identical one to this has since been placed at P&G.)

(This is the bench at P&G yesterday. I bought some balloons, one being an ISU one. :) I also bought some orange flowers, with orange and black ribbon for Shannon's love of Harley Davidson. Scott came out of work for a few minutes and we just sat and thought about our dearly missed friend.)

I love this prayer, shown below, that Spencer had found and had printed on Shannon's funeral program. It is beautiful and really gives a sense of peace because Shannon loved riding his Harley, he was so proud when he got it...

Lastly, I end with a picture from Jill and Spencer's blog. A wooden cross made by Spencer in memory of his brother that stands at the accident site in Illinois. Scott and I have yet to make it out there to see it, but we will...