Turning work into a life lesson

Posted in Mom Stuff
by Lisa Roberson

I’ve been cringing a lot lately.

And, here’s the reason why: Two beautiful children died what I can only imagine was a horrible death after they were thrown from a moving vehicle on the Ohio Turnpike after their 29-year-old mother sideswiped a PT Cruiser shortly after 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, causing the family’s mini-van to spin out of control and flip over.

Before the vehicle — later seen in photos with a flatten top and busted windows — came to rest on the side of the road, a 5-year-old boy and his 10-year-old sister were dead.

They, along with their 5-month-old brother who is in the hospital with serious injuries, were not wearing seat belts – devices troopers believe probably could have saved their lives.

Can you see now why I’m cringing?

It’s the kind of story that sends chills down your back.

But in the midst of my disbelief, I still managed to see the lesson behind the story. After all, I’m a journalist so naturally I have seen and heard a lot of horrible stories.

Stories of men shooting other men over money, drugs or just plan nonsense. Stories of women who drive up on the scenes of horrific car accidents only to learn their children are the ones inside the mangled wreckage. I have even written a story about a beloved police officer who was killed by an armed robbery as he walked home from his parents’ house.

I have done this job for six years and almost nothing surprises me anymore.

But after this story, I am starting to wonder if my slanted view of the world is also tainting the rose-colored glasses with which my impressionable 10-year-old daughter sees the same world.

I say this because of this morning’s exchange with my kid while getting in the car so I can head to work.

I hopped in, buckled my seatbelt and immediately turned around and told my daughter to put on her seatbelt and make sure her 3-year-old brother had on his. Even as I said those words I could see her strapping in, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the little girl who died Wednesday was 10 — the same age as my daughter. My baby!

“Mom, was there some accident last night or something? OK, tell me the story so I can get to day camp. We’re swimming today,” was all she said.

Now, I’m wondering if I’m sharing too much from work with her. But still, I decide to tell her the story and believe me, I spared her no details. I even included the part of the story where the little girl was thrown over the divider, into the path of oncoming traffic and run over by a tractor-trailer.

Gruesome, I know. But I needed her to hear the entire story and I needed to tell it.

I needed her to know that my nagging about her seat belt is because not wearing it has real consequences. I needed her to know I am just trying to save her life.

Well, I’m not surprised to say she got it.

She looked at me with those big brown eyes that just make you melt and softly said, “Mommy, that girl probably had like 80 or 90 more years to live. She still had so many things to do with her life and now she’s gone.”

With that, my daughter grabbed the shoulder strap and pulled it until it would not reach any longer. She let it go and the seatbelt snapped back into place, securely strapping her to the backseat.

She did the same with her brother’s seat belt.

“OK, I’m ready to go now,” she said. “I’ve got a lot to do today.”

Lesson learned. I still cringing a bit just thinking of the story, but at least it will save at least one life. Who can’t see the news value in that?

– Lisa Roberson is a single mother raising a 10-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy in Broadview Heights. She is also the Chronicle’s city government reporter.