Sunday, March 27, 2011

What's More Important?

I was dropping the girls off at school last week, right on time, no room for dilly dallying. Taylor leaned forward from the back seat as she usually does, for a see-you-later kiss. Mackenzie was not impressed for she couldn't access her backpack that was in the front seat. "Mommy," she began, "What's more important, school or a kiss?" I of course replied with, "a kiss of course, because it shows someone that you love them." She didn't agree. "You can get a kiss later." "But, what if something happens to me or you and I don't get to see you later?" "Mommy, school is more important." Well, I'm glad I instilled the importance of school yet sad that she hasn't learned to value a good goodbye. Well, at least when she's the one leaving. When I'm leaving, it's another story.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Gone in the blink of an eye

Mackenzie came home the other day with tragic news. I wondered if
she got the message correctly and if so, was there anything we could do?
Mackenzie said that a classmate and friend's mother was killed in a car accident near the end of the spring break. Conversing with her teacher revealed it to be all too true. What horror for the boys, the dad. We just saw them last
week at the pool playing volleyball together. The car accident that ended her life made it to the news and the local papers. Before I knew it to be someone I have met, someone I kinda know, I saw the pictures and shuddered. I can't imagine. I don't know why such tragedies seem worse when I have some connection to the people
involved. I suppose people would never have a chance to recover and move on if we mourned all of life's tragedies. Shocking just how fragile life is, and how life can change dramatically in a second.

Mackenzie didn't want to talk about it beyond telling her sister why Gabe wasn't in school for the week (and she misses him) and that they had made cards for him. Taylor wanted to explore what it would all mean to the family and what such a loss might mean to other families. Mackenzie asked us to stop talking about it. I wonder how she and her classmates are taking it.
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There is an education fund set up for the boys thru the funeral home,
J.Snow Funeral Home on Lacewood.