You know how you have that 1 outfit that no matter how your feeling, makes you feel better?
For me that is my wedding dress...
Today I had my first fitting with my wedding shoes & all my accessories and well, What can i say...WOW... when i seen myself in the mirror dressed as a bride, i nearly didnt recognise myself.
In my dress, with my veil & tiara i felt like such a princess, It took me a few minutes to take it all in and in those few moments so much went through my mind, Of course my first thought was will my fiancé Rob think im beautiful, i wondered if my grandpa & godfather will be watching over me on my wedding day and then i thought of my friend Brooke and how much i wished she would be there on my wedding day but sadly because of 1 simple mistake she wont be. If you have read my blogs then you would of read the one i wrote for my beautiful friend Brooke, she was only 20 years old when she was on her way to work one morning and made the mistake of sending a text message when she was driving, her car hit a tree and she died.
I recently caught up with Brookes mum Vicki for a coffee, She is a beautiful woman just like her daughter & when i first walked into the chocolate factory in corowa & seen Vicki sitting there, I was a bit shocked, The way she was sitting there reminded me so much of Brooke, which of course is what you would expect when a mother and daughter were as close as Brooke was with her mum.
When you mention Brookes name you can see a sparkle in Vicki's eyes, the love she has for her daughter is one that will no doubt last more than 1 lifetime.
This week has been very hard for me emotionally, On Monday, my mum, bridesmaid and myself went to go meet with the florist and discuss the wedding flowers, when i was planning the trip i knew i would have to drive past where Brooke had her accident, I knew it was the first time i had been past there and I knew it would be hard, But how hard it was going to be i didnt realise until i saw the tree and her name on the memorial cross, I was shattered, there i was driving past the spot where my friend took her last breath, I knew that if she was alive then she would be in the car with us and well possibly stirring me about my choice of music or making me laugh, But yet here i was with tears rolling down my face because of how much i miss her.
So many people think a text message only takes a few seconds to send and that it wont happen to them, they have driven the road a hundred times, they will be fine...Im sure Brooke felt that way as well but yet in those few seconds it took send a simple message of only a few words "are you still going to make it today" Brooke was gone and hundreds of lives were changed, Just in the blink of an eye, a mother & father lost their daughter, her brothers lost their sister, her grandparents lost their grand daughter, her friends lost a friend, anyone who had the honour of knowing Brooke had now lost someone who no doubt had changed their lives in one way or another.
Brooke was the Queen of selfies and i promised her that on my wedding day we would have a selfie together, even though i know she is gone, I will still keep my promise to her, On my wedding day I will take a selfie just for her.
When I seen myself in the mirror today i remembered Brooke telling me i was going to be a beautiful bride, and now here i was only a couple years after she said that, Looking in the mirror at me with my beautiful gown and feeling like a princess, the only thing missing was Brooke pulling silly faces at me.
When i go back to pick up my wedding flowers I will stop at the tree where Brooke took her last breath and will leave the pom pom flowers i made for her, She used to laugh at them and say they looked like fluffy flowers.
To some people it might be strange to grieve for a lost friend at the base of a tree that took her life, But to me that is the last place she was alive, so even though shes not there now im sure a part of her is there.
Sadly there is someone who is trying to get Brooke's memorial removed, The family has already moved the memorial from the base of the tree (where it rightfully belongs) to a few metres away to try to keep the complaining person happy.
There is so many road side memorials, those families are allowed to have them there so why should Brooke's memorial be any different?
Why should 1 family be victimised by 1 person?
Havent Brooke's loved ones been through enough?
What gives this 1 person the right to think they can tell a loving mother where she can grieve for the loss of her only daughter?
When i drove past Brookes tree i gave Brooke a toot of my car horn, I didnt do it to annoy or anger the person who is trying to cause a grieving family more heartache, I tooted because Brooke was my friend and I was saying hello.
So this is what i am asking of you, my loyal followers and readers....
Please help get behind Brookes family and spread the word of "Dont Txt N Drive"
There is many ways you can do this, Talk to your loved ones, tell them about Brooke and the dangers of using a mobile while driving.
If your on Facebook you can go to the Foundations page and show your support
simply enter in the following into your browser
https://www.facebook.com/dont.tx.n.drive
Or you can show your support by visiting the website where you can purchase merchandise showing your support for Dont Txt N Drive (All funds goes back into the foundation & educating young people on the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving)
Copy this link into your browser
http://www.dont-txt-n-drive.com
The merchandise can also be purchased from Woolworth stores as well as you can contact the foundation through the facebook page.
If you would like to give Brooke a TOOT when you drive past her tree or stop and place a flower at her memorial then please do so, If you dont know where it is, contact me and i will let you know.
Let get behind this loving family and show our support, Lets stand up to the bully and let them know that Brookes memorial will not be removed and they have no right to say where Brookes loved ones can grieve for her.
Please when you go for your next drive and your phone goes off, ignore it or pull over...
No mother or father should ever have to lay their child to rest, Dont put your family & friends through the painful task of losing you.
Love Always
Mandy
xoxo
