Everyday I miss my wife and my daughter. My wife, Cindy lived life with grace and passion. She was beautiful both inside and out, she exercised regularly, ate healthy and loved to cook delicious meals for family and friends. Cindy was devoted to God and her family. She would often volunteer as many hours a week as other worked and she always had a heart for helping those that had a need.
Cyndi and I adopted Chelsea when she was four months old. Chelsea was a happy and loving child and she shared her mothers passion for helping others. Chelsea was an avid reader and loved perusing the local book stores with her dear dad. She sang beautifully and once accompanied Celine Dion and Christian recording artist B.B. Winans at church.
On November 16, 1998, a most unspeakable tragedy occurred; My wife CIndy and daughter Chelsea lives were taken in a fiery car crash. The crash occurred because a young man chose to street race at nearly 90 mph down one of Tampa’s busiest roads. A few years later, the young man was charged in the deaths of my wife and daughter and faced thirty years in prison for the crime.
Just prior to sentencing, my heart chose to forgive Justin. Instead of pushing to send him to jail for three decades, I asked the judge for leniency and for Justin to work in a new program I was forming called Safe Teen Driver.
My hope is that teen lives have been saved in the absence of Cindy and Chelsea. I am most certain they would be proud of the work in their honor.
My heart will always ache for their loving smiles. I will forge ahead in their memory to educate on the value of slowing down so lives will be spared.
Bruce Murakami
I think forgiveness is always the right thing but may be the hardest thing a person may have to do. God’s blessings on you and your family.