Tragedy Strikes Our Neighborhood

This has been a really hard week on our neighborhood.  During the Labor Day weekend, one of the neighborhood children died.  It was a parent’s worst nightmare.  The family was enjoying a weekend at a lake when one of the children went missing.  He was found some hours later after a frantic search by family and fire rescue crews.  He had drowned.

Nathan had just begun kindergarten.  He was a charming and handsome little guy.  He was little impulsive and definitely determined to keep up with his older brother.  And his baby sister was equally determined to keep up with both of her older brothers.  They were fun to watch, and we as a community all looked out for each others’ children and enjoyed watching them grow.

Everyone is still reeling from the news, and none of us can imagine what his parents are going through.  At this time, I think they are probably still numb.  They have been fortunate to be surrounded by family and friends.  The hardest part is yet to come when the funeral is over, and they have to find some way to go on for their other two children.

Most of us don’t even have words to describe how we are feeling.  We are not the parent of this little 5 year old boy, yet his sudden death has haunted each of us deeply this week.  We haven’t spoken much with each other, but when we have, we can’t find much to say beyond that we keep thinking about Nathan and his family.  And we can’t stop thinking about him.  About them.

Yesterday, finally there were a few hours when I got so deeply involved in my work that that was all I thought about.  It gave me a little peace because I was able to let go of the sadness for just a little while.  But when I go to my driveway’s end and the bus stop and I stand next to their yard and see all the cars, the sadness just comes rushing back.  I try to block it out, but it just seeps in.

This will leave permanent scars on all of us because we all care.

I look at my children, and there is such a sense of relief that none of the close calls we had when they were little resulted in more than some scary moments and occasional scrapes.  We forget that children are just as impulsive and stubborn as adults but without the experiences and wisdom.  A tragedy can strike in the blink of an eye even with the most diligent of parents.  And one moment can mean the difference between a close call and tragedy.

I hug my children tightly and take a moment to enjoy their warmth and scent.

Katie & Justin are asking that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Nate's name to Mechanicsville Elementary School - Playground Fund.