I try to settle my mind tonight, completely overwhelmed with this day. This horrible, devastating day. A day where one local family, living just down the road from us is burying their oldest, a 10 year old daughter, who just a few days ago they thought had a mild virus... something we have all been through 100 times. A child who has a headache, vomits a few times, doesn't act like herself. Little did they know that they would be burying her the same day they had her birthday sleepover scheduled. My heart has been breaking all week for the Allison family and then the phone call comes today... firetrucks... ambulances... Moores Mill Pool... they're doing chest compressions on a child. My friends and I have been on the phone all day trying to coordinate our own plans to hang out at exactly the same place. Now we are all left wondering... what would have happened had we been there? Would we have noticed sooner? Could we have helped? Thank God it wasn't our friends' children who had just left the pool, or for that matter, thank God it wasn't my own child. How selfish am I to think that way?

As of tonight, armed with the latest information from our newscaster neighbor, Elizabeth White, we pray mightily for the family of this precious child. She has taken a turn for the worse and is unresponsive... the doctors have been discussing organ donation with the family. It is so hard to believe. There but for the grace of God go I, right? How many times have we been to that pool, or any other for that matter, and lost track of exactly where our kids are at that moment? I can't help but think about how I left Madison on Monday at the Grove Hill pool for Taylor's party while I went to register Macy & Jacob for gymnastics. It can happen so quickly... and the result is so final... everlasting. I pray tonight for the family of the little girl... I pray for the friend's mom whose care she was in... I pray for the lifeguard who couldn't save her life... and I even pray for the owners of the club. I can't imagine what any of them must be going through right now... but I do pray with all my heart that they will be enveloped in the healing power of God's love. I pray for all the people who may be receiving her organs in the very near future -- may God heal them all... may something good come from this devastating ordeal.

May we all take these lessons and apply them to our own lives... Do not take anything for granted... tell the people you love that you love them... show them everyday... be patient and kind... enjoy your life... enjoy each other... we never know when these precious days may end. Good night to you all, my friends who mean so much to me... may all of our prayers in some way help comfort this heartbroken family.