A few months ago, we lost a teen. She was only in 9th grade and somehow got ecoli poinsoning. It came on fast and she died within a week. It was extremely sad and very hard on the community.

This morning, there was a bad car accident. It involved a girl that's our youngest daughter's age. And another girl that's just a year older than our oldest daughter.

The older gal is 5 months pregnant (the same as our daughter) and she lost control on the ice. She hit the younger gal, totaling that girls car.

Both had to be flown by life-lite to hospitals.

The younger girl is our daughter's fitness partner and good friend. Well, when she didn't show up for fitness, and our daughter heard that it was a black car.... she became quite concerned, knowing that it was probably her friend. There are only like 85 kids in her class. So you can imagine how much they've bonded as a class throughout the years.

She was really, really lucky! Her airbag didn't deploy, so she's got quite a rough looking face. But, she's actually getting to come home this afternoon, with minor injuries.

The older gal though. Her seatbelt broke and she was ejected from the car. She lost her baby. And has internal injuries.

Please keep our daughters in your thoughts, as they process all this. As well, as the families and other friends of these girls involved in the accident. I would greatly appreciate it. It's just tough on our community.

All this made me think....since I was in high school- I can think of a guy that lost his life due to drinking and driving. Another that was driving too fasts, lost control of his car, and lost his life. There was an accidental hunting accident that killed a teen. When my oldest daughter was in 10th grade, she had a boy in her class that committed suicide. Another boy lost control of his car and lost his life. These are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head. WAY TO MANY TRAGEDIES for a small community.

I'm glad we have this off-topic lounge. We can share so many more things. And you all are a part of my family. I appreciate having each and every one of you to share my life with!

Amy

My prayers are with you and your family and community.

Alicia

Before my divorce, I lived in a VERY small town. My daughter was in 6th grade and I think the total in the ENTIRE 6th GRADE was around 20 or so.

The local FFA/4H group leaders lived across the street and down about a block from me. They lived on one lake...I lived across the street on another. The 4H meeting was over and all of the kids headed home. My daughter walked home since it was right there and I could watch her the whole way.

Two of the boys left the meeting...heading to one of their houses...on the other side of the lake. Yes, they headed out on the iced over lake to the house. We did that when I was growing up too...it was fine!

After police were flying around everywhere that evening...the local (small) radio station put word out that these 2 boys were 'missing' and please light a candle in your front window "to bring them home". YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN AMAZED AT THE CANDLES BURNING IN EACH WINDOW ACROSS ALL OF THE LAKES AND APPLE ORCHARDS!!!

That night and the next morning...the search began. My husband even went out thinking maybe the were playing in an old orchard cabin, outhouse...SOMEWHERE and got stuck. They searched and searched! They HAD to be there!

Finally, the end of the next day...they found one of their shoes upon the shore and then...found the two of them. They had fallen through the ice and drowned.

My heart really goes out to your daughter Amy! I know what she's going through since these 2 boys were in my daughters very, VERY small class. It was a long healing process, not only for her but the entire community. It always seems like there are too many tragedies in our small communities, but I think that since we are all soo close when we live in places like that...it's because we personally know everyone...so we take it harder than if we lived in a big city.

The class of 2008 (the class both boys were in and my daughter as well) took a portion of the new town firehall property and made a memorial park out of it for the boys. They got together every Saturday until it was done and then took turns mowing, weeding, planting flowers,etc. I think it was good healing for them! In memory of Jason and Kyle!

It's soo horrible...the feeling of 'nothing I can do'...'helplessness'.

Your family is in my thoughts!

{{{{Hugs}}}}