No! Not to her! :(

Yesterday I picked up my boys from school after Linton's soccer practice and when we were driving home there was an accident on the road, which was blocked, and cars were turning around. An ambulance (sirens off), drove away and there were a fire truck and a police car with lights blinking on the opposite side, blocking the road to oncoming traffic. We waited in the line of cars that were turning around and drove up to it. Beyond a truck, we saw a motorcycle on the road. The young man who was taking care of traffic informed us that it would probably take a long time and that we should probably turn around, which we did, taking some country roads to get home.

Whenever I see an accident I always wonder who was involved in it, what happened, whether the person survived, and I pray for the person(s) involved even though my questions always remain unanswered. Well... today I got this announcement email from the church secretary which had a cryptic note at the end saying we should pray for such & such family -- the last names of my hairdresser and her sons. I called the secretary up to ask some questions about the schedule tomorrow and asked what happened.

It turns out that my hairdresser's son, a senior in high school, died yesterday in an accident on the very road we were driving on. I'm still utterly shocked. Losing a child is just unspeakably horrible, but this young lady, probably my age, or a tiny bit older (her oldest son is about 20-21) just didn't deserve that! She's divorced and is a single mother to her three sons (she has a younger one, probably on 8th or 9th grade). I can't believe she just lost her middle son in a horrible accident. :(

I can imagine the sheriff knocking on her door to give her the devastating news... while she was probably in her basement hair shop doing someone's hair. I just can't stop thinking about her. They live really close to us, in the development in the back of our house. I wish there was something I could do or say. I know I can cook and freeze some food for them... but I just don't know what to say in these moments. I'm glad she has a lot of very good friends who are most certainly rallying around her in this difficult time. We also know her eldest son quite well and I'm sure it will be easier for me to talk to him than to his mother. I just can't fathom what a mother feels at a moment like this... I'm just so heartbroken for her.

The young man who passed away worked in the boarding academy's kitchen under the guidance of my friend Mimi who works there. She must be devastated and I'll give her a call now. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers! (and I'll update the post if I hear more)