This thing called death

ONE of the worst things that can ever happen to one in this media business is to be on the job and learn that a loved one has died tragically.It happened on Mash Night back in 2004 when news reached me that my eldest son had died; not in a vehicular accident as I’d originally assumed, but at the hands of a bunch of criminals, who, to this day, have not been brought to justice.
It’d happened before some years ago when Chronicle cameraman, Winston Oudkerk was called out on a routine assignment, only to learn that the woman lying spread-eagled on the road following a terrible accident was his beloved mother.
History would repeat itself yet again Thursday evening, when, at round 19:45hrs, Marjorie Spencer, another Chronicle staffer, learnt that one of the victims in the accident two of our young reporters and a photographer had earlier dropped everything they were and hared off to cover was her own daughter.
Ironic, isn’t it, this thing called death! Nerissa Spencer, a devout Christian by all accounts, was on her way to church when the incident occurred. As had been her wont for the past umpteen years, the mother of two was on her way to take her eager students through their paces in aerobics when she met her demise.
As one of her fellow church members, who was at the scene of the accident, was quoted as saying, “I know this woman, boy; this woman is a nice woman. She does go to this church hay and teach aerobics class; is deh she was going.”
Trouble is, how does one treat with a colleague in circumstances such as these? How do we commiserate with them, as in times like these, the tired old cliché, “Sorry for your loss”, or “You got my sympathy” just won’t cut it.
And so it is that, hard as it is for us, we say to our friend and colleague, “Our thoughts are with you at this your hour of bereavement.
“Take heart, Marjorie! God is in charge, and all is well!”

LINDA RUTHERFORD

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