You just don't know....

I had every intention of devoting this post to what an AWESOME weekend Me and My Castles (or My Castles and I ~ that's for you Kim!) had. We actually got things around the house done that we've been trying to get around to for eleven months, went to the park to play and take pictures, had a wonderful church service, cooked some pretty yummy food, WATCHED THE BEST MISSISSIPPI STATE GAME WE'VE SEEN IN YEARS (can I get a "Maroon....White....Fight, Fight, Fight...."), won a prize at a very fun night of Bunco, and enjoyed hanging out as a family without the added pressure of "Monday" being right around the corner. It was the best weekend I've had in a while.....until last night.

When I got home from Bunco, I had a message from a dear friend I taught with 3 years ago in Huffman, Texas. She was calling to tell me that on Sunday morning, around the time when I was enjoying a good Sunday School lesson, a teaching partner of ours was in a boating accident along with her 9-year-old son. They were on a friend's boat, a large boat that is capable of reaching speeds of 60 mph, when they hit something in the water and the boat was thrown 150 feet onto shore in a wooded area. My friend and her son were on the bough of the boat at the time of impact and were thrown from the boat. 4 wheelers were brought in to carry the 3 to the Life Flight helicopters which took them to the hospital. My friend was pronounced dead at the hospital. Her son broke every limb and injured his legs so badly that he won't be able to put pressure on them for quite some time. He is still facing at least one more surgery, and I don't know if he knows yet about the fate of his mother. She wasn't married to his father, but he was in the picture. Please, if you do anything today, say a prayer for this precious little boy. Please.

My friend loved her son with all of her being. He was her only child, and she had him when she was 39. Hardly a day went by when she didn't mention something about her son to us. She was so proud of every accomplishment he made, and I'm pretty sure he accomplished as much as he did because of the high expectations she set for him. It is so hard for me to imagine that he has to go on in this life without her. :(

Something that struck me last night as I was remembering my friend was that she had always taken such great care of herself. When she was younger, she was a body builder and she was in such great shape even years later. She always brought food for lunch that was revolting to me. You know, stuff that's good for you? I mean, salad? Really? I was pregnant with Charlee so if it didn't have at least 50 fat grams per serving, it wasn't for me. Ha! I also remember that she brushed her teeth every day after lunch. How many of us care enough for the health of our teeth to do that? I know I don't. Maybe that's why I had to go and have a root canal today. This woman looked to be only a few years older than me and she was almost 20 years older. I remember how shocked I was when I found out how old she was. She was literally in better shape than I have ever been in in my entire life. And she was 45! As I was remembering her, it struck me (and I've always known it in the back of my mind) that it doesn't matter WHAT you do to take care of your human body. You can be gone tomorrow. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO! I have such a heavy heart today because of the pain her son will have to experience, but also because I truly don't know if my friend will go to heaven or not. I can't remember anything about her that lets me know that she was for sure a Christian. But then, I really can't remember anything that would have let her know that I was a Christian......THIS makes me very sad.....

Please say a prayer for the family of my friend, especially her sweet son, and hug your own babies, spouses, parents, whomever, a little tighter today.