Worst Nightmare

Every parent knows what it feels like to hurt your own child by accident. The first time usually occurs with those gosh darned tiny finger nail clippers. Our baby screams, a drop of blood flows and we feel just awful. From there it is on to inadvertent scratches with too long nails or little toes that end up under a big foot. Nothing can make a parent feel quite so bad as when we hurt a child by accident.

My friend did what many of us do without really thinking: she choose to drive in a snow storm. I know what she was thinking, having thought the same myself many times. I know that road. I will take it slow. It will not snow as hard as they say it is supposed to. It will be fine. Each and every one of us puts ourselves in risky situations every day all the while operating under the premise that we are safe. That bad things only happen to other people. Two other sets of parents also believed that the conditions were safe to drive. And if they had a momentary twinge of doubt, their child's pleading eyes settled the issue. School had been canceled. They had been invited to go skiing. What a better way to spend the day?

Then the unimaginable happened. A nightmare. A parents worst, darkest fear. Of not only being responsible for injuring your own children but someone else's children as well.

My prayers tonight are for the 3 boys who are still in the ICU and holding their own. Two of them are my friend's sons. My prayers tonight are also with my friend. That she will find piece of mind. It may be a long time coming but she will never be far from my thoughts.

May God send you peace, Margaret.