Throwing It Back

April 6th, 2010 | Lost River

This morning while I was pouring hot water into a bowl of maple & brown sugar oatmeal for my oldest child, sirens rang out in our rural piece of the world.  Immediately, we all glanced at the windows and watched as two sheriff's department cars and an ambulance went sailing by our house.

We live in an area where we rarely (think two or three times A YEAR) see emergency personnel.  Less than a minute later, as I'm standing outside in my granny-esque pajamas, my daughter's fuzzy boots, and a throw cover, I heard the fire trucks.  I listened until I heard the siren stop and realized that they hadn't gone far.  It turned out that they had gone only a half mile from my home.  A house fire.  A young man perished.

Before I even knew for certain, I felt it.  I stopped, said a prayer.  I'd already put my older kids on the bus. I thought of them.  I think of them every day obviously, but then something happens.  Something that puts all of life in perspective.

I look at old photos of the kids and I wonder where the time has gone.  I am never as thankful or grateful as I should be.  Every one should take an extra moment daily to hug and show love to those around them.