After setting up a memorial for his son, a father finds an unexpected note years later
I really think that the grief of losing a loved one will never go away. The death of a sibling, parent, or child can never be made up for. It's just something that can be fixed, and we have to learn to accept that suffering. But even if you are unable to see your loved one again in person by going to their cemetery or memorial, you may at least sense their presence and temporarily ease the grief of their loss by spending a few minutes in their memory.
The setting for our tale today is a plot of property in Richmond, California, that is owned by the massive oil company Chevron. The proprietors of the corporation took great care of the vast tract of land. However, only individuals who were employed by or had ties to Chevron visited there. Perhaps it was not a spot to travel through where you could run into someone out for a walk. when's why it was so odd when one morning, a mystery memorial on the edge of the road that flanked the firm emerged out of nowhere. It was something no one had ever seen before, and nobody knew how it got there, naturally.
Chevron executives were aware of the situation after weeks of whispers and conjecture among staff members, so they decided to investigate and find out more. The company's first thought was to take it down right away and stop the rumors. However, when firm president Joe Lawrence approached the monument, he discovered that it was insurmountable. The executive became aware that the memorial was erected in commemoration of a person who had perished there. Although it was unusual, he was aware that the road had seen a few collisions. Due to the lack of traffic on the road, drivers seized the chance to go over the speed limit, sometimes endangering their own lives or the lives of innocent bystanders.
In observance of the dead's memory and the person(s) that visited and maintained the memorial, Joe made the decision to keep it exactly as it was. Lawrence made the choice to inform his colleagues, "We will pretend that the monument is part of the company and its grounds, and we'll put the matter to rest, at least for now," after visiting the location and appreciating its significance.
More than a decade and a half have gone by since then, during which time the enigmatic roadside memorial has remained a mystery to everybody. Everything stayed the same—the monument disappeared during the day and someone was maintaining it covertly. Nothing had ever been made plain, and the anticipation and mystery surrounding the monument had been so big that it had even made occasional news appearances until everything abruptly changed.
It was revealed who the enigmatic monument custodian was. It came out that Ray Olsson, a distinguished former Marine, had been looking after the memorial for almost a decade, paying it nocturnal visits to memorialize his only son who had died in a vehicle accident there. In 2003, Ray's son Raymond Olsson passed away tragically and suddenly in an automobile accident on a Richmond, California freeway. The 22-year-old was waiting for roadside help when his motorcycle broke down when a drunk motorist lost control of his vehicle and hit him, instantly killing him.
The multibillion-dollar Chevron corporation owned the site where Raymond died, and Ray was so certain that the firm would never permit him to create an official monument that he didn't even inquire. Ray's wife was the only one who was aware of his objectives, and she never supported him. She knew that once her husband made a choice, there would be no turning back, so she didn't want to disagree with him.
Hence, he chose to erect a memorial there covertly rather than being civilized and requesting permission from the landowners. It was a little gravestone with a wreath that he visited every night and maintained in excellent shape. He was aware that what he was doing was illegal and that he would face harsh consequences if someone wanted to look into it more. However, he didn't care about all of it; his grief at his son's passing outweighed his dread of going to jail.
For almost a decade and a half, going to his son's monument helped him come to terms with life and the grief caused by losing him in such an unfair manner. He initially went there just to arrange the flowers and to make sure the memorial was still intact. But as the years passed, he started having conversations in front of the gravestone, and that alone time turned into the sole quiet period of the day.
"What keeps drawing you there? Ray, our kid has a grave of his own. Instead of spending every night on private property, you ought to go to his tomb. Ray, you're going to get into trouble eventually, don't you? Please, please pay attention to me," his wife begs him daily, furious at her husband's careless demeanor. "I know you would understand, but our kid left a part of his spirit there. It remains in place. I visit there instead of the graveyard for that reason. I attempt to make peace with the hurt it gives me by traveling there, where fate intended to take our kid away from us. Are you understanding that? Her spouse, moved, gave her a response.
After a while, Olsson's wife became weary of their arguments, made the decision to drop the topic, and allowed her husband to carry out his ritual—which he did each night after that. Though it didn't seem like the truth would ever come to light and Ray's memorial would always be secure there.
Ray would experience another heartbreak when he received an unexpected communication from the corporation one day in 2016. They informed him that the area will be renovated in a little letter they put at the memorial. Chevron put a notice at the memorial asking the unidentified caretaker to get in touch with the energy giant to arrange a transaction, saying that the facility needed to be upgraded.
That evening, Ray got the feeling that the serenity he had sought for so long was about to disappear and that his heart was shattering once more. But he was determined to fight to the very end. Ray Olsson made the decision to come out and give up his anonymity at that point. He was certain that Chevron would demolish his monument and his memories along with it, and he wasn't going to let his cherished son's memory be erased.
What would truly occur was beyond his wildest imagination. Ray went to the office the following morning after reading the note that had been left for him and wanted to speak with the manager immediately. He was given the runaround by the management secretary, who suggested that he return on a different day since the director was extremely busy taking care of business. Ray revealed his actual identity by using the final tactic he had left, one that would grab the attention of everyone in attendance.
"Miss, I'm Raymond Olsson, and I've been helping this firm take care of the enigmatic monument for over a decade. Olsson looked her in the eyes and said, "I have to speak to your supervisor immediately; there's no time to waste. It was hard not to accept the truth of all he stated.
Raymond would finally get the chance to ask Joe Lorenz what he dared not to do twelve years ago when he entered his office a few minutes later. He said, "Mr. Loren, I know I should have asked your permission a long time ago, and I also know I had no right to erect a monument on your property, but it was about my son," but Joe Loren cut him off before he could say anything more.
"What the man had to tell him would be the best news Raymond had received in years." When Olsson arrived to the Chevron site, he imagined that the memorial honoring his late son would be demolished and the entire area would be under construction in a few of weeks. He never anticipated, however, that the firm he'd been skulking into every night for the last twelve years would be the ones to ultimately put a new memorial in his place—a brand-new one created especially to honor his son Ray.
"Please allow me to gently explain everything, Mr. Olsson. Nobody wants to take down your monument—instead, we want to keep it intact. In addition, we would want to remodel it; but, this time, we would like to do it formally and include you in the undertaking. How do you feel?" Loren gently questioned Olsson. It took Raymond a few seconds to respond because he was so taken aback.
He had never considered the notion of working with a business in memory of his son. It was a huge comfort to know that he could stop concealing and rely on the company's assistance. He was acting like a true runaway because he had been grieving the death of his kid in quiet for so long that he was unable to stop himself. Tears filled the man's eyes as he heard him inform him that his kid will have his own memorial and that he would be involved in the effort.
"It seems ideal to me, sir. You have no idea how much having you take care of my family will mean to me. "I will always be appreciative of you for that," the father exclaimed, grinning broadly.
Following their conversation with Olsson, who helped to resolve the memorial's riddle, the business got in touch with C Zapa, the local neighborhood board president, to inquire about possible cooperation in the creation of a permanent memorial. In addition to building a new memorial in Olsson's son's honor, the initiative aimed to provide a site of encounter and respect for all others who had also lost a loved one on that road—sadly, a far larger number than first anticipated.
As per their agreement, the firm erected two stone seats on either side for future bereaved guests, including Raymond, and a lovely gold plaque in memory of his son a few months later. "Ray, this is your place. At the installation of the memorial, Joe Loren from Chevron stated, "You no longer have to come at night." We take great pride in our ability to assist people who have lost a loved one. Since sharing and empathizing with others' pain as if it were our own is ultimately what kindness and compassion are all about, if I were in these families' shoes, I would also want a place to honor the memory of those who have passed away and will always be missed."
The setting for our tale today is a plot of property in Richmond, California, that is owned by the massive oil company Chevron. The proprietors of the corporation took great care of the vast tract of land. However, only individuals who were employed by or had ties to Chevron visited there. Perhaps it was not a spot to travel through where you could run into someone out for a walk. when's why it was so odd when one morning, a mystery memorial on the edge of the road that flanked the firm emerged out of nowhere. It was something no one had ever seen before, and nobody knew how it got there, naturally.
Chevron executives were aware of the situation after weeks of whispers and conjecture among staff members, so they decided to investigate and find out more. The company's first thought was to take it down right away and stop the rumors. However, when firm president Joe Lawrence approached the monument, he discovered that it was insurmountable. The executive became aware that the memorial was erected in commemoration of a person who had perished there. Although it was unusual, he was aware that the road had seen a few collisions. Due to the lack of traffic on the road, drivers seized the chance to go over the speed limit, sometimes endangering their own lives or the lives of innocent bystanders.
In observance of the dead's memory and the person(s) that visited and maintained the memorial, Joe made the decision to keep it exactly as it was. Lawrence made the choice to inform his colleagues, "We will pretend that the monument is part of the company and its grounds, and we'll put the matter to rest, at least for now," after visiting the location and appreciating its significance.
More than a decade and a half have gone by since then, during which time the enigmatic roadside memorial has remained a mystery to everybody. Everything stayed the same—the monument disappeared during the day and someone was maintaining it covertly. Nothing had ever been made plain, and the anticipation and mystery surrounding the monument had been so big that it had even made occasional news appearances until everything abruptly changed.
It was revealed who the enigmatic monument custodian was. It came out that Ray Olsson, a distinguished former Marine, had been looking after the memorial for almost a decade, paying it nocturnal visits to memorialize his only son who had died in a vehicle accident there. In 2003, Ray's son Raymond Olsson passed away tragically and suddenly in an automobile accident on a Richmond, California freeway. The 22-year-old was waiting for roadside help when his motorcycle broke down when a drunk motorist lost control of his vehicle and hit him, instantly killing him.
The multibillion-dollar Chevron corporation owned the site where Raymond died, and Ray was so certain that the firm would never permit him to create an official monument that he didn't even inquire. Ray's wife was the only one who was aware of his objectives, and she never supported him. She knew that once her husband made a choice, there would be no turning back, so she didn't want to disagree with him.
Hence, he chose to erect a memorial there covertly rather than being civilized and requesting permission from the landowners. It was a little gravestone with a wreath that he visited every night and maintained in excellent shape. He was aware that what he was doing was illegal and that he would face harsh consequences if someone wanted to look into it more. However, he didn't care about all of it; his grief at his son's passing outweighed his dread of going to jail.
For almost a decade and a half, going to his son's monument helped him come to terms with life and the grief caused by losing him in such an unfair manner. He initially went there just to arrange the flowers and to make sure the memorial was still intact. But as the years passed, he started having conversations in front of the gravestone, and that alone time turned into the sole quiet period of the day.
"What keeps drawing you there? Ray, our kid has a grave of his own. Instead of spending every night on private property, you ought to go to his tomb. Ray, you're going to get into trouble eventually, don't you? Please, please pay attention to me," his wife begs him daily, furious at her husband's careless demeanor. "I know you would understand, but our kid left a part of his spirit there. It remains in place. I visit there instead of the graveyard for that reason. I attempt to make peace with the hurt it gives me by traveling there, where fate intended to take our kid away from us. Are you understanding that? Her spouse, moved, gave her a response.
After a while, Olsson's wife became weary of their arguments, made the decision to drop the topic, and allowed her husband to carry out his ritual—which he did each night after that. Though it didn't seem like the truth would ever come to light and Ray's memorial would always be secure there.
Ray would experience another heartbreak when he received an unexpected communication from the corporation one day in 2016. They informed him that the area will be renovated in a little letter they put at the memorial. Chevron put a notice at the memorial asking the unidentified caretaker to get in touch with the energy giant to arrange a transaction, saying that the facility needed to be upgraded.
That evening, Ray got the feeling that the serenity he had sought for so long was about to disappear and that his heart was shattering once more. But he was determined to fight to the very end. Ray Olsson made the decision to come out and give up his anonymity at that point. He was certain that Chevron would demolish his monument and his memories along with it, and he wasn't going to let his cherished son's memory be erased.
What would truly occur was beyond his wildest imagination. Ray went to the office the following morning after reading the note that had been left for him and wanted to speak with the manager immediately. He was given the runaround by the management secretary, who suggested that he return on a different day since the director was extremely busy taking care of business. Ray revealed his actual identity by using the final tactic he had left, one that would grab the attention of everyone in attendance.
"Miss, I'm Raymond Olsson, and I've been helping this firm take care of the enigmatic monument for over a decade. Olsson looked her in the eyes and said, "I have to speak to your supervisor immediately; there's no time to waste. It was hard not to accept the truth of all he stated.
Raymond would finally get the chance to ask Joe Lorenz what he dared not to do twelve years ago when he entered his office a few minutes later. He said, "Mr. Loren, I know I should have asked your permission a long time ago, and I also know I had no right to erect a monument on your property, but it was about my son," but Joe Loren cut him off before he could say anything more.
"What the man had to tell him would be the best news Raymond had received in years." When Olsson arrived to the Chevron site, he imagined that the memorial honoring his late son would be demolished and the entire area would be under construction in a few of weeks. He never anticipated, however, that the firm he'd been skulking into every night for the last twelve years would be the ones to ultimately put a new memorial in his place—a brand-new one created especially to honor his son Ray.
"Please allow me to gently explain everything, Mr. Olsson. Nobody wants to take down your monument—instead, we want to keep it intact. In addition, we would want to remodel it; but, this time, we would like to do it formally and include you in the undertaking. How do you feel?" Loren gently questioned Olsson. It took Raymond a few seconds to respond because he was so taken aback.
He had never considered the notion of working with a business in memory of his son. It was a huge comfort to know that he could stop concealing and rely on the company's assistance. He was acting like a true runaway because he had been grieving the death of his kid in quiet for so long that he was unable to stop himself. Tears filled the man's eyes as he heard him inform him that his kid will have his own memorial and that he would be involved in the effort.
"It seems ideal to me, sir. You have no idea how much having you take care of my family will mean to me. "I will always be appreciative of you for that," the father exclaimed, grinning broadly.
Following their conversation with Olsson, who helped to resolve the memorial's riddle, the business got in touch with C Zapa, the local neighborhood board president, to inquire about possible cooperation in the creation of a permanent memorial. In addition to building a new memorial in Olsson's son's honor, the initiative aimed to provide a site of encounter and respect for all others who had also lost a loved one on that road—sadly, a far larger number than first anticipated.
As per their agreement, the firm erected two stone seats on either side for future bereaved guests, including Raymond, and a lovely gold plaque in memory of his son a few months later. "Ray, this is your place. At the installation of the memorial, Joe Loren from Chevron stated, "You no longer have to come at night." We take great pride in our ability to assist people who have lost a loved one. Since sharing and empathizing with others' pain as if it were our own is ultimately what kindness and compassion are all about, if I were in these families' shoes, I would also want a place to honor the memory of those who have passed away and will always be missed."
