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flowers layout powered by HOT FreeLayouts.com / MyHotCommentsThe following is written by Pam (Shannon's mom).“I have three children”, that is what I say when asked about my family. I can’t seem to get it out without an overwhelming feeling of deep sadness sticking in my throat and a pain in the pit of my stomach. I then go on and tell about why I am sure they see tears welling up in my eyes. Feeling compelled to tell them that they shouldn’t feel like they said something wrong, I go ahead and take a deep breath to compose myself explaining that one child is deceased. You know that this is not something that person wants to hear. No one is really expecting this type of answer. However, it does happen even though it is a parent’s worst night mare. I am living it. It is all consuming, but she is my child and I really do want to talk about her. I don’t want her to be forgotten or anyone else to lose a loved one, when one choice could prevent it.Shannon, my first born of three children and my only daughter lives eternally. When she was born she taught me the importance of life. Suddenly life had much more meaning than ever before. This was agape love. She was so special. A pink flag flew under the United States and Oklahoma flag at the hospital in honor of her arrival into this world. My daughter didn’t get to live her adult life. It was taken from her after her first four months away from home as a college freshman. She had such huge plans for her future, high expectations of what her life would be when she completed college, raised her own family, lived extremely rich in a mansion and lived life with a purpose above all else. I can still see her smiling, squeezing and hugging everyone within reach as she would sing” High hopes I’ve got high hopes”. She was glorious. The girls on her dorm room floor told me as we were packing away her things that Shannon took it upon herself to be the morning alarm clock not just for herself and her roommate, but for the complete floor. They said every morning she would go down the hall knocking on all the doors singing and making them all wake up whether they wanted to or not. This sounds like Shannon was a singer, but she really wasn’t and that is what makes it even more colorful. She just wasn’t afraid to do whatever she believed in at that moment in time. If it was singing she would sing, laughing, she would laugh, witnessing she would tell about her relationship with Christ, praying she would pray, etc. Shannon was so beautiful inside and out. Her dark brown hair shined like her dark brown eyes. Her ivory skin made the perfect canvas for her vibrant smile and pretty lips.Shannon loved red lipstick and it looked natural on her. She would leave her lip prints everywhere. Her little brother Lucas would always have lip prints on his forehead, but her brother Aaron learned to get away quickly. Any friend of Shannon with their vehicle parked would get a lip print on their wind shield. She didn’t have to leave a note. They knew Shannon had been there. Oh, but if you ever got a note from her it would have her lip print on it too. Sometimes I still find her lip print on items and a “Shannon wuz here” in her signature. It will still bring me to my knees. I think if I could just put my lips on hers then maybe I could I feel her again, but I know that can’t be and I don’t want to risk erasing the print.Shannon not only taught me the importance of life, she also taught me the important of death. How it is not final you must seek the purpose of the life. You see all that vibrancy and life was taken November 20th, 1998, when Shannon was killed by a drunk driver, but she must not be forgotten. They said she died instantly and I guess that was true because it appears she didn’t even have time to turn her head. Her vehicle was hit head on at the top of a hill when the drunk driver was going in excess of 80 miles an hour driving on the wrong side of the road. Shannon had her seat belt on. She was only going about 55. When the drunk driver hit her it pushed Shannon’s car back 5 feet into a tree. Parts of the car were still dangling from the tree months later.I speak out for Shannon because she would for me. Her future plans were all taken away without her making the choice, but it happened by the choice of another when she chose to drive drunk. With alcohol on her lips and breath she took Shannon’s last breath. She forced Shannon’s last lip print to be left on the airbag of her car. Shannon wuz here. Please help to stop the tragedies caused by drinking and driving? Make a good choice.

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