Sorry for the lack of updates, did I mention that October was a busy month for me? Perhaps I can bang this out while waiting for the paint to dry on my daughter's Halloween costume. She's going as an ice cube and one of her friends is going as a penguin. I'll take pictures.
Today is the third or fourth day of rain here in central Texas. We caught the edge of Hurricane Patricia and consider ourselves lucky. We're still looking at the news feeds to see how bad the damage was. If the rains continue, things will be problematic. Mudslides, flash floods. The power has gone off a few times, but so far nothing more annoying then resetting all the clocks. As I said, lucky.
My daughter is going to experience a not so pleasant right of passage tomorrow. A friend of hers died in an automobile accident last week and the funeral services are tomorrow. We all feel the loss for the Wood family. Through tear stained eyes I've watched my daughter go through the stages of grief in private this week. As parents we can comfort and offer support, but it in no way diminishes the loss that occurred.
I'm supposed to be good with words and perhaps offer some consolation to those close to Katrina, but it seems that anything I say would fall short. Her star was snuffed out before she had a chance to shine. There was no malice, no ill-intent. Three people lost their lives last Saturday. Wrong place, wrong time. The only thought I return to was one written by Christopher Reeve in his book Still Me, "Accidents happen for no reason."
Knowing what I know as an adult, a parent, lives can be taken in an instant. It shouldn't have to happen to children, but sadly it does. When my mom dropped me off for school, she always ended our conversations with, 'I love you'. At the time I thought she was trying to reaffirm herself. After all, I was young, immortal and bulletproof. Why would I need to hear those words?
Time has a way of playing some pretty cruel jokes on us foolish mortals. Now I say the same three words to my kids as I drop them off for school. Buried deep in my subconscious fears, I hope those are not the last words I will speak to my children.
Today is the third or fourth day of rain here in central Texas. We caught the edge of Hurricane Patricia and consider ourselves lucky. We're still looking at the news feeds to see how bad the damage was. If the rains continue, things will be problematic. Mudslides, flash floods. The power has gone off a few times, but so far nothing more annoying then resetting all the clocks. As I said, lucky.
My daughter is going to experience a not so pleasant right of passage tomorrow. A friend of hers died in an automobile accident last week and the funeral services are tomorrow. We all feel the loss for the Wood family. Through tear stained eyes I've watched my daughter go through the stages of grief in private this week. As parents we can comfort and offer support, but it in no way diminishes the loss that occurred.
I'm supposed to be good with words and perhaps offer some consolation to those close to Katrina, but it seems that anything I say would fall short. Her star was snuffed out before she had a chance to shine. There was no malice, no ill-intent. Three people lost their lives last Saturday. Wrong place, wrong time. The only thought I return to was one written by Christopher Reeve in his book Still Me, "Accidents happen for no reason."
Knowing what I know as an adult, a parent, lives can be taken in an instant. It shouldn't have to happen to children, but sadly it does. When my mom dropped me off for school, she always ended our conversations with, 'I love you'. At the time I thought she was trying to reaffirm herself. After all, I was young, immortal and bulletproof. Why would I need to hear those words?
Time has a way of playing some pretty cruel jokes on us foolish mortals. Now I say the same three words to my kids as I drop them off for school. Buried deep in my subconscious fears, I hope those are not the last words I will speak to my children.
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