Five Minutes

Not even five minutes from my front door a terrible tragedy occurred this morning.  It happened at the little Catholic School of the Church I attend.  A young seventh grade boy took his life in front of his teacher and classmates. I know few details and I'm pretty sure I didn't know the boy.....but it has affected me profoundly and I cannot seem to get it out of my mind.

I can't stop thinking of his parents who dropped him off at school this morning for just another Thursday.  I look at my daughter and think how those parents loved their son at two years old with nothing but hope and promise ahead of them.

I think of that teacher. Oh my goodness.  How horrible to try to save your student - and to have to deal with your own terror and the terrorized faces of your other students.

And those poor students...who will have that haunting image in their minds and dreams for days, weeks, months and years to come.

I can't imagine having to explain what happened to the younger students in the school.  Some of those kids are only four. Heartbreaking.

I'm sure this isn't the only tragedy that took place today.  But this is the one for which I am called to pray. I hope you feel called to say a special prayer for them tonight.

It was only five minutes away.

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Dear Lord, blanket this grieving family, school and faith community with your love, mercy and peace and grace as they mourn the loss of this precious young man and try to make sense of this sad, sad occurrence.