The other day, I was talking to a couple who are very good friends and live in Virginia/Maryland/Washington DC area. They mentioned that 3 people died from lightning strike in Lafayette park, right across from the White House. There was a fourth person injured, but she remained in critical condition. This happened last August 2022, so I am sure the condition of the surviving person has evolved since then, but I do not have any knowledge of it.
Of the 3 victims, one was a 29 year old man from Los Angeles, who was in DC on business, and a mid-70 years old couple from Wisconsin, who was in DC to celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary. This is the story I want to write about today.
They were high school sweethearts, who got married, and stayed married for 56 years, raised 5 children, nurtured 10 grandchildren, and saw 4 great grandchildren. And then one night in the US nation’s capital, Washington, DC, right next to the White House, lightning takes them away together!! Isn’t this story incredible? If you want to get religious and metaphysical about it, you will definitely have to consider they were angels sent, and taken back, by God.
As we were talking about this story, I started thinking that if you write a fiction full of symbolism and emotion and love, you would not be able to match this reality. Yes, high school sweethearts, long term married, with children to great grandchildren. All of these you could imagine, but getting struck by lightning in the nation’s capital, right across from the White House?!! Wowwwwww.
Of course, I would want to live longer than 76, but I wouldn’t mind going out as they did, when the time comes.
Paris , May 22,2023
Zeejay