A Terrible Tragedy Has Happened….

                    

   There was a terrible accident two nights ago in a nearby town. I had just let Obie outside and standing in the doorway, I could hear the sirens blaring down the road. It sounded like a long line of rescue and police going by. I wondered what was happening and where was this occurrence? I said a silent prayer and went about my business. I watched the news that night. It mentioned some teens were in a car accident nearby. The driver seemed to sail through the intersection and was hit by a commuter causing a terrible crash. The commuter, as well as two boys in the other car, were taken to the hospital, some in critical condition. There was a third boy in the car, and he was killed on scene. They were not releasing any information, regarding him, until his parents were notified. My thoughts were of the families of these boys and I hoped and prayed they could get through this tragedy regarding the boy that was killed and that the ones taken to hospital would recover fully. What a terrible ordeal to go through.

   Then I got the phone call. It was innocent enough. I have a new friend whose name is Debbie as well. She was calling to chat. She is fairly new to the area and has twin 15 1/2 year olds. One was home sick and the other had just been let out of school early. The realization of this accident had caused a good deal of the students at school to be quite upset. The name of the boy who was killed had been released. Teens were crying all over the school and the principle made the decision to let them all go home so that they could deal with their grief. Then she mentioned the deceased boys name…..Josh. “Excuse me….what was that name again?”…I said. “My kids tell me his name is Josh”…she said. When I heard the last name I almost dropped the phone. It was my friend Ann’s son and he was 16 years old. I thought I must have heard it wrong. I got off the phone and called my cousin in that nearby town. There it was again….Josh…..and this was the second confirmation. I called my friend’s house and her mother’s cell phone…no answer. I called many other friends and found out nothing more. Then, while on the phone with a friend, my husband hollers to me from the other room…. “Debbie….it’s on the news!” There it was, on the noon news, a makeshift grave that his buddies from school had made at the scene and it definitely was Josh. Now I truly believed it and I burst into tears.

   I tried his mom’s once more and then gave up, thinking I would find out more today. Last night, at around 10:00, the phone rang, it was her. I cannot tell you how hard it is to talk to a mother who feels as though someone just tore her heart out, and stomped all over it. We sobbed together on the phone. When I was done talking to her, she talked with my husband for a while. It was so heartbreaking…..I can’t even begin to tell you the whole story behind it…..she loved that boy so much. The first thing she said to me was “Oh Debbie…I just wish he knew how much I loved him.”  “He did Ann…..he did.” We will all be there for her and her family as much as we can. He was 16 years old and he was a handsome and friendly and active student….just getting started in life. He just got his license a few months ago and he was NOT driving when this occurred. It’s a terrible tragedy but I know he is in God’s hands now and he is looking down on his mom and his sister and the rest of his family and friends. She’ll never get over this but she will hopefully get through it, with the help of friends and family. She has a daughter in her early twenties that will be right beside her. I know you don’t know these people but you may know someone like them. Please say a little prayer for Josh and for Ann even if you don’t know them. I haven’t heard any more yet about the other boys in the hospital. They are in my prayers. I dedicate this blog posting to my friend Ann and to her loving boy Joshua. May he rest in peace.

Live in the present moment and find your interest and
    happiness in the things of today.
                                                                            - Emmett Fox

          You never know what is going to happen in life.