The Tornado Hit Close to Home

I have to share - cuz I can't seem to focus on anything else today. I sat up all night with my next door neighbor whose son was at the boy scout camp that you might have seen on the news today. This was one of the most difficult nights I think I have ever experienced as a parent. We didn't know til about 1 in the morn if he was alive or dead. Thank God he survived - 4 other precious boys didn't.

Last night, we were trying to distract my friend, just to fill up the hours of waiting with something that wasn't the looming, eerie silence of not knowing if her little guy was buried under a heap of concrete, or in a hospital, or dead. Sometimes she'd want to talk about her feelings, it made it better for her, but would also make it worse for her. Lots of meaningless babble - talking about American Idol, or Grey's Anatomy, but it didn't make the underlying truths go away. It was awful. When we got word that he was "on the list" - that he was okay, we were relieved, but it wasn't til he called then walked through that door 2 hours later and we got to hold him and hug him and hear his voice, that we could exhale a bit. This morning, he went outside and lowered the flag that was up on a flagpole he and his dad built 4 years ago. He's only 13.

Today, I can't even focus. I have tried working, and doing anything to distract myself, but it's not doing any good. Emotionally, I am numb. But all I want to do is hug my son and my husband, and I want to make chocolate chip cookies and go to the park and play.

Please keep all these kids in your prayers tonight - and give your kids an extra hug and kiss- there are 4 families here who can't. My heart is aching for them.