Attack survivor helps put life into perspective

It takes a strong person to survive a horrific event such as a machete attack. It takes a remarkable person to not only survive, but also retain the same sense of humor and still see the cloud may still have a silver lining after all.

Elann Moren is one of these people.

Throughout the day Dec. 1, Moren, known as “Lennie” to her friends, had much to celebrate. She and fiancé Christopher E. Rogers Sr. met with a few family members and friends to mark the first anniversary of the couple’s relationship. She and Rogers Sr. had bid on a new home they expected live their lives in, and were looking forward to a future together.

That night, Rogers Sr.’s son, Christopher Erin Rogers Jr., allegedly attacked his father and Moren with a machete while they slept. Rogers Sr. died from his injuries and Moren was seriously injured. Rogers Jr. then traveled to Anchorage, where he allegedly shot three people, killing one.

Moren could feel sorry for herself, and most of us would say she has every right. She lost her fiancé and suffered injuries from which she may never fully recover. This is why we were so impressed with her courage and willingness to face the world when she sat down for an interview with Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Andrew Wellner on Tuesday evening. She joked that the two fingertips she lost during the attack would mean she would get a 20-percent discount on manicures.

Tomorrow, Moren will have another test as Rogers Sr. will be put to rest and she’ll take another step in the process of moving forward from that terrible day. She remembers the attack and calls it “a life-changing experience.” Moren is already thinking about how she can use her experience to help others who have had life-changing experiences of their own.

Widowed in 1977, Moren was mugged in Paris in 1992 and was car-jacked and kidnapped in Detroit in 1999. To also endure a vicious machete attack seems unfair for someone who’s already seen more than her share of violence. As Moren pointed out in her interview, and it’s a true cliché, life isn’t fair.

“I don’t see myself as a victim,” she said. “I see myself as a survivor.”

Her philosophy is one that would work well for any of us whenever we feel overwhelmed by what life’s put in our paths. A God-fearing person, Moren says she chalks up her experiences to being God’s way — that he gives the toughest challenges to those who can best handle them. This is a healthy refrain and humbling to hear it coming from Moren. By all accounts, covering this story since its inception, this is the same attitude she’s always had.

There’s an example here that should not be wasted. The Mat-Su Borough, Alaska and the world would be better for sharing Moren’s outlook. Life isn’t fair, and that’s not going to change. How we react to events we cannot control is what makes the difference.