Exhaling at Home (Opus Gloriae)

Michael and Tiffany

This is a photo of us.  Might be nice to put faces with the names for everyone too.

It is a blessing to know you and to be in contact. I know I wouldn't feel right not being in contact. 

 

Michael

 

 

 

I couldn't agree more - faces with names are definitely preferred.

Thank you so much, Michael for sending this picture. Such a lovely couple we've been praying for!

"It is an incredible chain we have created."

I am posting this "as is" because it is self-explanatory.

I will only say that, with every email I open, I have to say again, "God is good."  And sharing prayer intentions is very good too.

Hello Kathryn,    

 

 It feels good to know that a lot of people we don't know are praying for us.  We do feel it.  I posted this note on Facebook which is a summary for our friends and family.  There are a lot of people continuously praying!

 

Prayer requests:

1. Guidance for the doctors in dealing with the ruptured tendon in my left hand
2. For the easing of Tiffany’s mind, dealing with images and sounds of the crash
3. For strength to return to my left shoulder and for the healing of my right knee
4. For bruising around Tiffany’s knees and possible fracture of the breast bone to heal
5. For continued healing of the cracked transverse process in my vertebra
6. For the Lorangs as they adjust to the loss of a child and as their mother rehabilitates
7. For everyone to be extremely cautious on the roadways this winter
8. Thanks that our lives were spared and that we didn’t suffer worse injuries
9. For continued healing of my mind as I suffered a severe concussion
10. For us both to be patient and understanding, God works in mysterious ways

 

    I went to physical therapy on Wednesday and was expecting to get some exercises to strengthen my finger but instead they found that my ring finger tendon was ruptured.  News that I wasn't expecting.  I see a specialist on Wednesday next week and probably will have surgery scheduled shortly after.  The lacerations on my hand have healed and swelling has almost all gone down in my knees.  I go to the neurologist on the eleventh of February to get CT scans of the cracked transverse process in my neck.  Hopefully it is healed fully by then.  Tiffany's bumps and bruises are healing quite nicely too.  The biggest thing now for her is just finding the strength to deal with the images and memories she has in her head.  It is very distracting especially when in class now.  I just keep praying that her mind will be eased.   Again, we truly appreciate all the thoughts and prayers.  It is an incredible chain we have created.  Hope this finds you well!

 

Michael Workman     

 

p.s. I attached a photo of my car.  Seeing it is very humbling and makes me even more so thankful. 

 

  

 

 

More notes to share

Anne continues to improve and is becoming impatient that she can't "multi-task" - a sure sign that she is getting back to her old self but needs to be patient with the healing process. The doctors and therapists and family know-somethings have all consistently said that the recovery process will take months, not weeks, so we should not be surprised that this is taking longer than Anne would prefer. Moms have difficulty taking "down time," especially homeschooling moms, and we all know that our most impressive skill is our ability to do several things at once. Having to focus on one thing at a time does NOT get done what we hope to get done in a day, so we can all understand her desire to be up and running and her regular pace. Patience is a virtue, but one that is acquired only with great effort for some of us.

I've asked her to email me some pix of the fam so that we all feel like we're there ;-)

Meanwhile, there are so many kind notes in my Inbox that it seems selfish not to share them. Throughout these weeks, we have been blessed with such kindness and sympathy that it is impossible to forget that we are not alone, and that God sends everything we need, including others to pray with us, cook for us, and weep with us:

My name is Janice.  I live in Scottdale, (near St Joseph).  The stretch of freeway between exits Scottdale Road M-139 and Niles Avenue, I often travel.  Since the accident, Aimee, her mother, and extended families, and Mr. Workman have been on my mind and heavy in my heart.  Finding this blog a few days after the accident (as read in my local newspaper) has been my way of keeping focused on these families during this painful time.  I have made a personal promise to myself to whisper Aimee's name every time I cross over the St. Joseph River on I-94.  Many hearts wish the outcome could have been different, but the faith and wittness of the family has been extraordinary.  Please know that many are comforting you in spirit.

We live in California and have been friends of Vince and Helen almost 50 years.  We were the Godparents of their 1st child, Mary Helen, who passed away as an infant.  I want to thank you so much for letting us know and I check your blog daily for updates.  We were in Texas when we found out, and all of you have been in our prayers and in our hearts ever since. We just returned home a few days ago.  I so wish that I had a sister like you.  I want to send cards to Tom and Anne - please let me know if I have the correct address.

Know that we are praying for all of you and that our Lord continues to stay close to Anne and Tom and the children.

I SURE WISH I HAD KNOW ABOUT THIS BLOG EARLIER. MY HUSBAND & I WORK WITH TOM. OUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN WITH THE LORANG FAMILY EVER SINCE WE GOT THE WORD ON THAT FRIDAY. WE WERE AT THE FUNERAL HOME LATE THAT NIGHT SURE AM SORRY WE DIDN'T GET TO MEET YOU. THEY ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL FAMILY TO HELP THEM & BE WITH THEM THROUGH ALL OF THIS. WE ARE TAKING A COLLECTION UP FOR THEM HERE AT MEADE ( A SPECIAL THANKS TO MARY B ). WE HOPE THAT THIS WILL HELP WITH ALL THE EXPENSE THEY ARE GOING THROUGH. WE ALL WILL KEEP THEM CLOSE TO OUR HEARTS AND IN OUR PRAYERS AS THEY MOVE FORWARD.

MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU

SANDY H & EVERYONE HERE AT MEADE ELECTRIC

All of your kind notes have been forwarded to the Lorangs, and they are grateful for every syllable. We are all grateful for your continued prayers as the family resumes some kind of routine and finds its bearings anew.

Anne's therapy and a note from a Good Samaritan

Anne went to her first therapy yesterday and met her new therapist: Jake.

 

Sounds scary.

 

She claims he's trying to "get her into shape," even though she protested that she wasn't in great shape BEFORE the accident. She is scheduled for three days a week, and still has to meet with the speech and occupational therapists. I talked with her on the phone a couple of times, and she's talking as fast as ever (which is always faster than my brain can process), so I doubt she'll need much speech therapy :-)

 

She is doing very well. We'd expect no less from the child Papa always called "Angel Pie."

 

The Mulderink family is still catching up and cleaning up and trying to thank everyone who generously gave from their kitchens and wallets and prayer time. Truly, we cannot thank you all enough.

 

There is someone else we cannot thank enough: Amy and Terry, who saw the accident and immediately stopped to help (and I refer to them as good Samaritans, not because they are foreigners, but because even though they were also travelling, they put someone else's need before their own agenda):

 

I wanted to tell you a little about that tragic day.... My wife and I were driving westbound when the Lorang family van made it's slide and tumble. My wife Amy (ironic) gathered up all the sleeping bags and blankets from the road and covered the kids up. She hovered over them and when we could talk to the police, got permission to let them stay warm and dry in our car. Amy helped the kids get in touch with their aunt and father. She still regrets not going to the hospital and taking care of them until family got there. Our thoughts and prayers have been with you.

 

It was Terry's cell phone that Liz used to call me right away to say they had been in an accident.

 

I can still hear her saying, "Hi, Aunt Kathie, it's Lizzie... um, we were just in a car accident and Aimee and Mom are knocked out I think..."

 

"Ok, ok, I'm on my way right now. Are you ok?" I said, already gathering my things and putting on my shoes. She assured me that she and Alex and Melanie were not hurt.

 

I asked where they were, but (understandably) Liz wasn't sure, so she handed the phone to Terry and I talked with him to get information about what was going on and where they were; he assured me that the kids were safely with his wife and wrapped in sleeping bags. Terry did indicate that it was a serious accident and that emergency vehicles were just arriving. I told him we were on the way and thanked him, asking him to please call me to let me know where the kids would be.

 

Grammy and Mary and I were already headed in that direction, praying the rosary and driving an agonizing 22 mph through the snowstorm, when he called me back as promised and let us know that the troopers were bringing them to the hospital and would meet us there.

 

I did not have the opportunity to properly thank Amy and Terry until he found this blog and posted his comment here. And now you can all thank them as well.

 

The many emails I have received throughout all this has me thinking often about how valuable everyone's part is in every event of life - everyone simply responds generously to what is before them each day and others are taken care of, enriched, supported, encouraged, etc. One person drives the ambulance, one is the state trooper, one is a strong man who can lift a mother out of a crumpled van. One person offers to cook dinner, another bakes Christmas cookies, another finishes buying gifts, another wraps them all. One person remains with a grieving father/worried husband, another nurtures and feeds their children. One person takes it upon herself to set up a benefit fund for a family who is mourning, one calls in the prayer warriors, one posts it to her blog, another schedules a rotation for meal preparation until that family is back on its feet.

 

And one couple sees an accident and does not hesitate to allow their life to be interrupted to see if they can help in some way, though they have no idea what it might cost them. This allows family to be on the way almost immediately after the incident, so that the children are not alone for any longer than needed.

 

Each individual's role is so necessary, though they may not think that they are doing anything very impressive or valuable. But every little thing done by one person means that burden is not on anyone else. So if you offered to buy milk for us or sent an encouraging email or dropped a few dollars in the jar so that I could buy clothes for the kids, we can truly say we couldn't have done it without you.

 

Once again we say that we are eternally grateful for every "little" thing you have done and given during these last weeks. May God repay you as only He can.

 

 

The driver of the "other" car

The driver of the car that was unable to avoid hitting the Lorang van when it slid into the oncoming lanes found this blog (how did you do that, Michael?) and sent me this email, which he gave permission to share here:

I'm glad to see your sister is doing better after the accident.  I think about the frailty of life even more so every day as I was the driver in the other car that was hit.  I am thankful to still be here as anyone would be.  It is sad though, to think of the life that was lost, but as you said, God only had seventeen years in his plans.  I don't know how many he has planned for me but I will live them to his glory.  My girlfriend and I are still shaken up by the accident and will be for some time.  I am still recovering from some bruising, cuts, and tendon damage in my left hand, also some lapses in memory from the concussion but otherwise doing fine.  Tiffany still has some cuts and bruises that are healing as well. We are very thankful.  Our church and friends have surrounded us, those involved, and those affected by the accident in their prayers.  We personally continue to think about and pray for the family each day.  Hope this finds you well. Michael Workman       

If you had seen the car Michael was driving that morning, you would better appreciate the miracle these twenty-somethings experienced; the car is totalled. Life is indeed fragile and unpredictable. 

Of course, we have kept them in prayer as well, as the last thing we heard was when we were still in the Emergency Room and someone let us know that the driver also had some kind of head injury; we are grateful that it was not more serious. And you have been just as generous in your prayers for them:

Kathryn If you have contact with the driver of the other vehicle again, please let him know that although we do not even know his name, we (our family, our church family, and friends) have been praying for him as well. Sometimes I would find myself getting all wrapped up in Tom and Anne's situtation, I would deliberately take time to pause and pray for him. I wonder if he can feel the power of prayer as your family has been able to. We wish him well and a speedy recovery.

Kathryn, Please let them know that my family is also praying for him as well, I have been thinking of him a lot lately, and praying for the officer to get through another crash/day.

Our prayers for them will continue, as God brings people together often for just that reason.

We keep thinking about that day and I keep repeating what I said that morning: "You never know what a day is going to bring. But nothing is going to happen today that God doesn't want to happen."

We thought we were spending the afternoon celebrating Viv's 30th birthday (the "baby's" odometer rolled over, now we're all old ;-) God had something else for us to do. That morning, as I said my Morning Prayer, I wrote in my journal of a sense of anticipation, of something about to happen, but I had no sense of what it was; only a vague idea that God had something for me to do that day. We simply need to be open to what the day brings, knowing that we do not walk through it alone.

Because life is fragile and unpredictable, but He holds us all close to Him.

the Suffering book for you

I forgot in my last post to mention that, as several people asked me over the last few days, I will email a free pdf copy of my book, "His Suffering and Ours" to anyone who emails me and asks for it.

Just click "email me" under the picture and put "Suffering book" as the subject.

A family with one foot in Heaven

I had no qualms about sending the Lorangs back to Homer Glen, because I know there are a lot of wonderful and generous people there to pick up where we feel we “left off.” I sent them with confidence, but I have to say it was so wonderful to meet some of you in person over the last two days (or to meet you again, after a period of time!), so thank you to everyone who took the time to pause and introduce yourself to me. It was truly an honor to meet you all, and your response to the updates here is encouraging and humbling at the same time. I often think that one of the best things about Heaven will be that we can all remain with each other always - we enjoyed visiting with each and every one of you! 

Now Aimee’s body has been laid to rest, and perhaps the families can find a little rest as well, as we find our bearings anew and move forward. There is no denying that it has been a difficult and exhausting time for us all, but God has used all of you to support us and He has orchestrated so many of the details so perfectly (as many of you noted already) that our faith is only stronger and our trust deepened. We will continue to rely on your steadfast and fervent prayers as the family continues to heal, physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.

 

A thought came to me today at Mass, which was offered for my father (who died suddenly last February): a family is not "less whole" because one of its members has died; it simply has one foot in Heaven.

 

What is the goal of a family? Love. We are conceived in love, nurtured in love, supported in love. In the end, we go to be one with Love. As our family members precede us in death, they precede us to the fullness of Love, where they can help us and from which they await us. I have no doubt Papa and Aimee are praying for us and helping us. The Communion of Saints is very real.

 

Bob and I are Aimee's godparents. I don't know if we helped her spiritually during her life, but I know that she is now going to help us!

Next post, I want to tell you soon about two people who contacted me recently: the driver of the other car involved in the accident, and the couple who stopped and helped the Lorang children on the side of the road.

 

Right now, I have a family that needs me!

Some lodging info

Anne and Tom sent this information:

If you are coming from out of town and need a hotel, consider

Country Inn Suites
18315 South Lagrange Road 
Tinley Park, IL 60487
 
(708) 560-9300 [Call this number, not their 1-800 number.]
 
Remember to say "bereavement rate" & you get a 10% discount:
$89 + tax [1 king or 2 queens]
$109 + tax [suites - sleeps 6]

There is also a Hilton Garden Inn nearby.

The Lorangs are home!

Christmas update:

The Lorang children slept here on Christmas Eve, anticipating the arrival of St Nicholas; in the morning, Tom brought Anne over for the opening of the gifts (along with Grammy and Aunt Mary!) and   Anne tolerated the chaos amazingly well. After a while, Tom took her back to Mom's to nap and shower and she decided to come join us for Christmas dinner after all.

I took her upstairs to our room for a nap later in the afternoon, but she stayed here with the kids until almost 9:00.

The 26th was a busy day of phone calls to Chicago and trying to make decisions about going home and how to get everything home and whether the kids should all come home at once. Appointments were made and details discussed, though some things remained undecided until yesterday, when it seemed best for everyone to stay together.

So last evening, the Lorangs packed up the car and headed home. They will need some time to get used to their "new normal" and finalize arrangements for Aimee. Friends are pitching in to help them out by delivering groceries and meals and more. Grammy will soon be there to do whatever it is that needs to be done to keep things running smoothly as Anne receives additional rehabilitation.

Anne is improving noticeably each day, which is a relief to everyone. Surely, this week will not be an easy one for anyone, so your continued prayers are very much appreciated.

Again and again, we can only turn to Him in trust from the midst of all this, knowing His plan is perfect, even when it is painful. He promised us light and peace, but also the cross in this life, but we know He has gone before us and bears it with us. And you have helped us carry it as well.

May God repay you all as only He can for your generosity, your heartfelt prayers, and your constant encouragement. The grace has been palpable, and your support essential. Again, grazie mille di cuore.

Funeral arrangements

Arrangements for Aimee are as follows:

Visitation is scheduled for Tuesday, December 30 from 3:00 pm CST until 9:00 pm at Modell Funeral Home  in Homer Glen ( 12641 W. 143rd Street ).

Mass will be Wednesday morning at 10:00 am at St Cyril and Methodius  in  Lemont ( 608 Sobieski St ). Take Route 45 (LaGrange Road) north to W. McCarthy Road (123rd. St.), turn left onto Houston St., turn right onto Sobieski Street.

Other arrangements are still being worked out.
Again, thank you for your prayers and support, which are helping very much.