Perspective

Instead of trying to post all the things I've missed the past month, I am going to start with what's on my mind.
And no pics, not today.
A few days ago, I was emailing a friend and giving her the chronology of all the rotten things that had happened that day. Here are some snippets:

6:35am - we notice that Elijah's eye looks like a baseball - the little red and pus I saw yesterday is now a full blown pink eye.  I read on the internet that pink eye is only contagious if you touch your eye and then touch someone else'e eye.  I don't see that as a problem and Elijah should go to school but since he can't even see out of his eye -- it's looking like we have to scramble to figure out drop off and pick up. 

7:35 - call Kenny back and here was his morning:  Get out to the van to take the girls to school and Elijah to the minute clinic.  Van won't start. Borrows our neighbors car and realizes he left his wallet in the truck (which I have - 35 minutes away) and no easy tag to get through the toll booths to get to school. I promise to call back when I get to school so we can figure it out. 

9:15 - Call Kenny and he and Elijah used friend's car to take girls to school, drive to my school to get his wallet (paying $3.00 for the toll in credit card) and stopped at the minute clinic. Waiting much more than a minute to see a doctor. (Sidenote:  It actually took two hours. Argh.)

And it really has been a tough Winter so far - between sickness, dust allergies and lice (Don't get me started - I am now a full blown expert), some cranky vehicles, and now pink eye - we are ready for our silent night.
But as things often go, everything gets put into perspective when something tragic happens.  And it did.

Another student from LSA, Paul Riley, a boy I taught nine years ago, was in a one-car accident yesterday morning.  This is the second student I taught who has died so much earlier than they should have.  And while I mourn the loss of these young souls - who I'm really mourning for right now is Paul's mother, Perrilyn.  You see, Perrilyn is one of my favorite people at LSA. Not only was she a great parent to work with when I was teacher, we then switched roles and she became both Lydia and Lanie's helper teacher in preschool and Kindergarten.  She is a delight to me.  She loved telling stories about her boys - Paul and Mitchell.

I ache for her right now.  And I know so many others do as well.  Whenever I pause my constant activity, my mind goes straight to her and what she's doing right now.  Is she curled up in the fetal position on her bed, like I would be?  Is she playing out over and over again what put Paul in the car that morning, what caused him to veer off the road - was it a stray dog, a text?  Did he fall asleep?
And then my mind swishes and I wonder if Perrilyn and her husband, Sam had Christmas plans? Did they have gifts wrapped?  Did their other son Mitchell hope for some brotherly time together over the break? Did they talk about Paul and his strengths and wonder what he would do in the new year? In his future?

I know they have an army of loved ones and church friends surrounding them and I'm so glad.  I have not a doubt that God is hand-picking his perfect servants right now who will become their comforters, who will walk in and help this amazing family find solid ground in the months to come, who will say what they need to hear. Who will hold them and guide them to the love of Christ and remind me that there is nothing He can't handle.
For now though, in this infant state of shock, despair and what I can only imagine is hell on earth, I pray:

Lord, protect this family and cover them with your peace.
Amen.