Grieving

Last night I got word that a girl from our school (where my husband and I grew up, met, graduated from, where Fuss goes to Kindergarten) was in a serious injury involving a Jet Ski hitting the raft she was on in the lake near here. Her mom was my high school English teacher and one of my mentors (she was the Journalism sponsor and I was newspaper editor my Sr year). Her mom actually took maternity leave with her during my final semester at school.

I've been fervently praying for her life-threatening injuries all night/morning. I just heard that she passed away this morning.

I barely know the girl, but no 15-year-old child should have to die. I knew her mother, once-upon-a-time and still see her regularly, though only to wave in passing as I'm driving through campus after dropping off or picking up Fuss.

I am devastated. I cannot seem to stop crying. If this is due to my hormones/lack of sleep/being sick (I seem to have come down with yet another cold) I don't know, though of course it is terribly sad. Maybe just being a mother makes me more linked to the grief that has got to be wracking this family right now. I cannot imagine losing my child. I can't imagine how they must be feeling to have a fun Labor Day activity end so tragically. It makes me want to rush to the school and pick up Fuss early just so I can hug her.

Little Man keeps asking why I'm crying and there is no way to explain it to a 3-year-old. (he turned 3 yesterday - I can hardly believe it). It makes me so sad to think that any of my children could possibly ever be hurt. Makes me want to live in and keep them in a bubble.

Very few details have been made known to the public other than that her father was pulling she and a friend in a raft (I saw a picture, it was a good-sized inner tube-style raft) from a boat and a man on a Jet Ski ran into them. I cannot even imagine how that was possible unless the Jet Ski driver was grossly negligent. All the news says is "Deputies to not believe alcohol was a factor at this time." Makes me want to do something crazy like petition to ban Jet Skis.

I just can't my mind around this.