Aspen’s Story
Aspen was a beautiful, joyful, amazing 18 year old.
She loved spending time with her parents, brothers and sisters, sister in law, niece and many friends. She also loved every animal she ever encountered. She would light up any room she walked in with her smile and loved to give huge hugs. Aspen graduated high school in 2023 and was living life while trying to figure out what she wanted to do. She had her whole life in front of her. She had dreams of taking more girls trips with her mom, family trips to the beach, marriage and kids one day and finding a job that she loved. She was thinking about starting the process to become an EMT because she loved to help people.
All of that was taken away on March 10, 2024 when our world would feel like it was falling apart. We were awakened just before 7 am by two Texas State Troopers knocking on our door. They gave us the most devastating news that our sweet girl had been killed. Just five days before her 19th birthday, Aspen was hit head on by a drunk driver headed into oncoming traffic on I-20 and was killed instantly. Time stopped, our hearts broke, and our lives were forever changed. One man made one choice. He made the choice to drink and get behind the wheel.
One Choice changed everything.
We all have a lot of One Choice moments in life:
One choice to drink and drive or one choice to call another ride
One choice to let a friend drive under the influence or one choice to take their keys
One choice to be on our phones while driving or one choice to wait to send that text
One choice to walk in bitterness and hate or one choice to forgive
One choice to give in to peer pressure or one choice to stand your ground
And the list goes on.
One choice is all it takes to forever change your life and the lives of those around you.
These One Choice moments can impact others in positive ways too and the best One Choice you can make is to give your life and heart to God.
Through this time, we have clung to our faith in Jesus and to our family and friends. In the midst of what is the worst time of our lives, God has been so good. He has shown us the sweetness of community, the importance of living each day to the fullest, and the importance of walking in forgiveness. Just 3 short months after the accident, we were able to sit face to face with the driver. He apologized and said he knew his words were far from enough to express what he felt. We were able to speak forgiveness over him. The only way we were able to do this is with The Lord guiding every step.
We don’t know what each day holds in this journey. What we do know is that Aspen’s life and legacy will make an impact. Her story will continue to be told, lives will be changed, and by sharing her story our hope is that your One Choice will be different. We never thought we would be walking through such a tragedy. This could be anyone's story, but it doesn’t have to be yours! Remember her beautiful smile and think about what your One Choice will be. Know that your life has value and meaning. Don't drink and drive, buckle up every time you get in a vehicle, and don’t drive distracted. Help us continue Aspen’s Legacy by sharing her story and making wise choices.