I drive by two roadside memorials quite often. (Well, more than two, but I’m thinking of two in particular.)
The first one is about two miles from our place — where Hwy 211 and Canby-Marquam Hwy cross. Over the years it’s been a bad, bad intersection — many wrecks, many injuries; many lives changed, many lives ended here on planet Earth. Interestingly, though, only one memorial remains:
Mercedes F. Ramirez-Flores
Cut off at age 15. Eleven years ago. People still remember Mercedes. I know, because I’ve seen some of them there. In their hearts, there’s more left of Mercedes than this roadside memorial.
But there’s another memorial that has often produced fleeting melancholy in me.
It’s also by Hwy 211, about 5.8 miles east of Hwy 99E in Woodburn.
It just sits there year after year. Untended. Perpetually almost to fall over. Forgotten?
Not by me!
And to my knowledge, I don’t even know this Peter:
What compelled someone to put up so simple a memorial?
Is it somehow indicative of a wasted life? of a forgotten person? of an insignificant other?
Peter. Mercedes. Sometimes I wish I knew more about them both. And about their families.
And about their relationship with God.