"It must be difficult to talk about your daughter...."

"It must be difficult to talk about your daughter...."


I am told this very frequently after doing a distracted driving presentation and talking about how Casey died.  I think sometimes that's, in part, why folks are so appreciative. And that is true for students as well as adults. Sometimes I do tear up, or my voice catches when I speak of Casey. Not so much when I talk of how she lived, but how she died, what her last words were and that I don't have the solace of knowing she did not suffer. I know she lived after being hit, she spoke and likely was terribly afraid.


It is sometimes emotional for me to speak of those last moments but it would be far worse if I could not remember her in this special way. The tragedy of her death seems just a bit less knowing that telling her story is making a difference and keeping others safe. So most often it is not difficult to talk about Casey at all. I am grateful that I have many opportunities to do so.