tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post1159716675953836384..comments2023-11-05T00:54:55.976-07:00Comments on Cranberry Corner: Remembering, The ConclusionJennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16015165553390298826noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-2856000901820167162010-05-27T20:11:50.814-07:002010-05-27T20:11:50.814-07:00That was such a painful experience! I pulled out m...That was such a painful experience! I pulled out my journal from that time and read about that awful episode. Someday, you may want to expand your written account based upon my record of the experience. The Lord brought us through it somehow.Saint Holidayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01531081133769195666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-42983599678799855712010-05-26T14:59:01.884-07:002010-05-26T14:59:01.884-07:00Jenna...That is such an amazing story and really m...Jenna...That is such an amazing story and really makes me love and respect you even more then I did before. It takes great courage to share something so personal and life changing. You are so amazing!Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12063659965345739172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-78243624367783335532010-05-25T07:02:25.916-07:002010-05-25T07:02:25.916-07:00Jenna, I have waited a while to read this because ...Jenna, I have waited a while to read this because things have been crazy and I wanted to be able to read and not be rushed. I'm glad I did. There was so much feeling and emotional power in these posts. I am glad that you are to the point that you can feel peace about this. I admire your courage for writing it.<br /><br />I was really struck by your final comments--about people who tease/mock you for wanting to be good. I am the same way. There is so much in my life that I wish were better--I don't understand why people seem to take issue with my trying to control the things that I can. It seems so mean spirited to mock someone who is trying their best.Braden Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08543019025938404436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-38236781440159209912010-05-23T15:21:34.957-07:002010-05-23T15:21:34.957-07:00Wow. Such courage, Jenna. Every single time I thin...Wow. Such courage, Jenna. Every single time I think of you,"overall amazing person" comes to my mind. You continue, with every post, to prove me more and more correct. You are TRULY someone I admire. And will forever.Keeler Klanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13678154479743789516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-53408640053924967082010-05-23T07:18:14.004-07:002010-05-23T07:18:14.004-07:00Hi Renee. Thanks for coming forward. I'm so ...Hi Renee. Thanks for coming forward. I'm so sorry for your loss. Losing a husband would be so painful. <br /><br />I'm sorry that you feel I was harsh or unfair. I have thought about your comment now for more than a day, and I have to say that I just disagree with you. If that comment was ALL I wrote, then maybe, but I took the time for five days to write out all of my sorrow and regret and remorse. The last installment was a summary of some of the realizations I've had in dealing with that event, some of the understandings I've been given. I think anyone can tell from my story that I am not flippant or casual about Yvonne's death at all. It has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with. I think if you look at the entire message of my story and the entire context, then I think even Yvonne's family, should they read this, would feel my heart and understand. <br /><br />It is my belief that trials, even devastating ones, even unfair ones, even those inflicted on us by others, (as my accident inflicted this trial on Yvonne's family) are here to serve us. They are life's best and most powerful teachers, if we choose to embrace them as such. I have no shame in saying that, and I'm so sorry if that is offensive to you. I've had to forgive a very personal crime against me too, when I was a child, and I still say that there were things in that offense for me to learn from. I have friends that have lost children, spouses, parents, and I maintain my same belief. I don't believe that in doing so I undermine the pain or grief that anyone feels, and I'm so sorry if you disagree. <br /><br />Thank you for reading my blog, and for your thoughts. I hope your heart finds peace as you deal with your terrible loss.Jennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16015165553390298826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-70563266857333543972010-05-22T21:55:48.411-07:002010-05-22T21:55:48.411-07:00Jenna, my name is Renee (AKA Anonymous). I don'...Jenna, my name is Renee (AKA Anonymous). I don't have a URL or an Open ID.<br /><br />I am sorry if you feel I was unkind, not my intention, but can you imagine being Yvonne's daughter and reading "For some reason, Yvonne's family needed to learn the lessons heartwrenchingly attached to losing a mother, a wife, a sister, a friend." ? I think it would be devastating. Say you are sorry, say you are heartbroken, say what YOU might hope to hear if the roles were reversed. That is my point.<br /><br />With that said, I do feel your sincere regret and sadness at this tragic event. On any given day it could be any of us, glancing away for a moment, reaching for a dropped pacifier ... we all make mistakes and by God's grace we are most often spared what could be a terrible consequence. <br /><br />Having lost my husband recently to a terminal illness, I can certainly appreciate that tragic events can teach us things, stretch us, grow us. But believe me, it is NEVER okay to hear "You must have needed to learn a lesson."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-56689660685587807802010-05-22T20:11:10.630-07:002010-05-22T20:11:10.630-07:00Dear Anonymous,
I think you are missing Jenna&#...Dear Anonymous, <br /><br />I think you are missing Jenna's point.<br /><br />She was not judging what lessons another family needed; she was just stating that God sees the bigger picture. I think you were thrown off by semantics.<br /><br />In a split second, seemingly tiny decisions can change someone's entire life. If such an event happens in our own lives we can spend out time saying, "what if..." (what if Jenna had not gone the the bathroom, what if Yvonne had worn her seat belt) or we can try to see the bigger picture that God sees and learn a lesson from it. Even when that event is extremely painful.<br /><br />I think that you were very unkind in your judgement of Jenna. I appreciate the story she shared, and I am having my 16-year-old son (who is now a licensed driver) read it. Sometimes you need to look past the exact words of a story and see the feelings/emotion/caring that goes with it.<br /><br />Such an experience could happen to any one of us at any time. It's probably scary to think that maybe we are not in as much control of our destiny or our family's destiny as we would like to believe.<br /><br />Jenna--Thank you for sharing your story with us. I am a new reader and I love your posts.-Ross Family-https://www.blogger.com/profile/05027481636883845957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-3459506759192377822010-05-22T09:22:23.596-07:002010-05-22T09:22:23.596-07:00It is unfortunate anonymous took what you said so ...It is unfortunate anonymous took what you said so far out of context. <br />Courage is something you obviously have lots of, not only for allowing that comment to be posted but for sharing such a personal part of life with us. <br /><br />Bless you, bless Yvonne.Jacquiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14518341934343792045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-46854063933077915922010-05-22T06:46:38.313-07:002010-05-22T06:46:38.313-07:00Anonymous,
It's interesting to me that you fe...Anonymous, <br />It's interesting to me that you feel the need to reprimand me and call me on my courage to post your comment, when you did not have the courage to even post your name. Nevertheless...<br /><br />I apologize for any insensitivity you feel I have displayed. Obviously, you are reading about this episode of my life on one particular day and I have been living it for almost 20 years. My writing and expression is limited, and for that I apologize. What I meant to express is not "learn a lesson" as in someone wagging a finger in their face like "I'll teach you!", but rather coming from my point of view that all things in life serve the purpose of teaching us lessons and helping us to grow. There are things that can only be learned through loss, and if we never suffer loss, we are void of a certain kind of compassion that we only have the opportunity to learn in that particular refiner's fire. I don't know what specific things Yvonne's family had to learn by going through such a terrible tragedy, I only believe that all trials are presented to us as opportunities to learn and grow, so IF there is a trial, THEN there is a lesson to be learned. That was all I meant.<br /><br />And I would never, ever, ever absolve myself of fault because she wasn't wearing her seat belt. I think you missed my point. Either way, just because I have gotten to a point where I have forgiven myself for what truly was an accident, does not mean that I have for one second forgotten that the mistake was mine, and all mine. And I still live with that. It's part of what I have to learn.Jennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16015165553390298826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-34542332545873797232010-05-21T22:42:50.118-07:002010-05-21T22:42:50.118-07:00Wow. I commend you for your honesty and respect t...Wow. I commend you for your honesty and respect the depth of your regret and sorrow but this:<br /><br /><i>That particular day, her decision to not wear her seat belt was as integral as my decision to get out of my car and go back in the house for a last minute trip to the bathroom. For some reason unknown to me, Yvonne's time on earth had come to an end. Mine had not. For some reason, Yvonne's family needed to learn the lessons heartwrenchingly attached to losing a mother, a wife, a sister, a friend. </i><br /><br />strikes me as extremly insensitive. Who are you to decide her family must have needed to 'learn a lesson'? It is not her fault that she was killed and her not wearing a seatbelt does not mean it wasn't a result of your error. I am very sorry for how you have suffered and it could have been any of us who made the same mistake, but your comments above are just too much. <br /><br />I hope you have the courage to allow this comment to be published. Your remarks do a great injustice to Yvonne and I believe you should atone for them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-91594558572568281012010-05-21T15:31:52.468-07:002010-05-21T15:31:52.468-07:00I think that must have been painful, yet healing t...I think that must have been painful, yet healing to write. I love your perspective on life. Thank you for sharing.mindyluwhohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18443030788449986652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-21828874089863145742010-05-21T15:11:54.743-07:002010-05-21T15:11:54.743-07:00I'm grateful you shared this with us. It's...I'm grateful you shared this with us. It's so powerful--I really can't express how it's touched me. It'll stay with me a long time.Annette Lyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-80740786004430189522010-05-21T13:48:13.699-07:002010-05-21T13:48:13.699-07:00I think of this story often, I've learned from...I think of this story often, I've learned from it and it's changed me. Thanks for sharing this in writing, I think it could be a book. You are amazing!Alejandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16841797206229393715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-91370249920179996082010-05-21T12:10:23.329-07:002010-05-21T12:10:23.329-07:00Thank you for sharing your story. I'm sure it ...Thank you for sharing your story. I'm sure it was hard to tell. Great reminder that we never know what's in people's hearts. <br />I love your perspective and your writing!Andreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16676577604632155345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-75758701907173123712010-05-21T10:59:47.190-07:002010-05-21T10:59:47.190-07:00I've been a dedicated lurker on your blog for ...I've been a dedicated lurker on your blog for over a year, but I just have come out of lurker status to say...<br /><br />Thank you for sharing.Jerihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13696320304738158460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-62954808228880660702010-05-21T09:57:21.519-07:002010-05-21T09:57:21.519-07:00Oh that refiner's fire. So painful but so wor...Oh that refiner's fire. So painful but so worth it. I love the insights you've shared here. They apply to everyone, I think.Kimberly Vanderhorsthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01653757517652257445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-65184763281711479592010-05-21T09:52:44.938-07:002010-05-21T09:52:44.938-07:00Jenna,
When I think of you I have always thought ...Jenna, <br />When I think of you I have always thought of of you as: beautiful from the inside out, courageous, and possesing a mature spirituality beyond your years. Thank you for sharing your heart and touching mine. I love you.<br /><br />Lori FawcettAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-27076211641167590932010-05-21T09:52:44.939-07:002010-05-21T09:52:44.939-07:00wow, Jenna. I miss your blog and the life lessons ...wow, Jenna. I miss your blog and the life lessons contained there in. You're right that we just never know what goes on it other people's hearts and lives. And I'm glad you got to continue on so that our paths can cross. You've blessed my journey.Josihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10615874450489497826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-61091982539645336382010-05-21T09:17:14.105-07:002010-05-21T09:17:14.105-07:00This is a remarkable thing you have done--you have...This is a remarkable thing you have done--you have not only survived this but given it such meaning for you and those who read your story (I think you should submit this to the Ensign). In spite of all the good that has come from this, I would wish one thing different for you and that would be the forgiveness of her family. A friend I have known my entire life lost her parents in a very similar type of accident (except the teenaged driver was not looking where she was going). She attended the court hearing and when it was over, she went to the girl who did it and frankly forgave her. It has made things a bit easier for both of them. It's doubtful that Yvonne's children have gained the perspective you have (few who go through such dire trials actually do)but I hope that they have forgiven you, for their sakes as much as yours.Heidihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12660156433881882098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972912984919271871.post-53279238699395687302010-05-21T09:12:28.314-07:002010-05-21T09:12:28.314-07:00I continue to come back to your blog because you a...I continue to come back to your blog because you are a great writer. Through your posts I see wisdom, strength, and hope. It must have been hard to write that all out but beautifully done.<br /><br />Thank you for sharing. Very much.lesahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14270836034243104115noreply@blogger.com