RenayofRohan Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I feel so sad for this family. This is my worst nightmare. No words. Just tears and continued prayers for them all. I can't imagine. I am just so sorry... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I looked at her blog before you posted the sad news, and what a lovely child he was - and what a happy mother she seemed to be. I'm just so sad for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayle in Guatemala Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I will be praying for them. I can't imagine what they must be going through. How tragic.:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5kidsforME Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I am still just sick over this....I just have such a blah feeling, helpless to their grief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I wish I did not know about this. I'm sorry. It's my fault, I know. I hear about something awful and familiarize myself with the hurting people. I personalize it and imagine what I would do if it were me in the midst of such torture. It doesn't bear thinking about...but I do. How does a mother bury her own child? It is too much to consider...but I am. Tears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5kidsforME Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I wish I did not know about this. I'm sorry. It's my fault, I know. I hear about something awful and familiarize myself with the hurting people. I personalize it and imagine what I would do if it were me in the midst of such torture. It does bear thinking about...but I do. How does a mother bury her own child? It is too much to think about....but I am. Tears. Colleen, I am right there with you. I even said to myself earlier, do not read anymore of the thread. I just can not help but go back to it. Maybe because I am finding it all out in real time, I don't know. Just tragic....heartwrenching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Colleen, I am right there with you. I even said to myself earlier, do not read anymore of the thread. I just can not help but go back to it. Maybe because I am finding it all out in real time, I don't know. Yes. You sit and think, "At this very moment, a mother like me, a mother of a three year old boy, has learned that her child is gone. Just like that." I just...I don't know how one goes on. I imagine myself 'til my dying die, yearning to rewind and relive that one day and do it all differently. These are the times when I am far from comforted by the concept of God's omniscience. To accept the notion that He blessed this family with a child, knowing the boy would drown at his own home on this day. I can not pray to God at such a time. I can only admit my anger and lack of understanding to Him and ask that the Holy Spirit intercede on my behalf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 This is just heartbreaking. Praying for the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmac Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 This is heartbreaking, praying for the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Lots of thoughts and prayers for the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5kidsforME Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Yes. You sit and think, "At this very moment, a mother like me, a mother of a three year old boy, has learned that her child is gone. Just like that." I just...I don't know how one goes on. I imagine myself 'til my dying die, yearning to rewind and relive that one day and do it all differently. These are the times when I am far from comforted by the concept of God's omniscience. To accept the notion that He blessed this family with a child, knowing the boy would drown at his own home on this day. I can not pray to God at such a time. I can only admit my anger and lack of understanding to Him and ask that the Holy Spirit intercede on my behalf. Yes it is very hard to understand how He allows this to happen. Well for me at times it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I wish I did not know about this. I'm sorry. It's my fault, I know. I hear about something awful and familiarize myself with the hurting people. I personalize it and imagine what I would do if it were me in the midst of such torture. It doesn't bear thinking about...but I do. How does a mother bury her own child? It is too much to consider...but I am. Tears. I think this is a very human response, Colleen. We're all mothers, mothers who have worked and sacrificed and poured ourselves into our children. The tragedy is unspeakable. There aren't even words to think about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 That just makes me feel sick, and I am ashamed to say I don't even know how to pray for them. How horrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5kidsforME Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 That just makes me feel sick, and I am ashamed to say I don't even know how to pray for them. How horrible. I am praying that they feel the comfort of Jesus loving arms right now but I gotta tell ya, by golly, I just don't think much of anything could comfort me if one of my children where taken from me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 How does a mother bury her own child? It is too much to consider...but I am. Tears. Unfortunately, I do know what it's like and my heart is absolutely broken for this family.:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Here is a news report: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5967671.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Unfortunately, I do know what it's like and my heart is absolutely broken for this family.:( I know you are coming up on four years since your own daughter's passing. It seems like this kind of news must be even harder for those of you have truly experienced such grief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpe Diem Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I am so sad. Praying for peace and healing in its due time. I just can not imagine. I am so sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5kidsforME Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Unfortunately, I do know what it's like and my heart is absolutely broken for this family.:( I am so sorry, :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Hood Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 My heart is so heavy for this family. I will pray for them. We had a pond for 14 years and it was a constant fear any time I couldn't see young children in my care or my own when I finally had them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadaRabbit Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 My heart is splitting in two. I will be holding them in my thoughts and prayers in the days and weeks ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I am left completely speechless, there is no words to help ease their pain. What a horrible tragedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leah Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Oh, I am so grieved to hear this news...I will be praying for this family...I can not even begin to imagine their loss, but I know that God's love is unfathomable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 There are few things I fear more in my life than something like this happening to one of my children. No mother should have to outlive her children. And so young.... I can't even imagine. I am praying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Kate, sorry but I don't understand, how did her three year old go missing? I left my 2-y-o playing happily in the kitchen, and half an hour later, a neighbor was bringing him up from down the mountain. Just about died of shock. He'd broken out the back door, out the back gate, and took the dogs on a "walk." I got padlocks that day and a lock he couldn't reach for the kitchen door! But he could have gotten hit by one of the neighbor's trucks coming up that twisty road, and that would have been it. I am so sorry to hear of the news. I'm praying for them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I left my 2-y-o playing happily in the kitchen, and half an hour later, a neighbor was bringing him up from down the mountain. Just about died of shock. He'd broken out the back door, out the back gate, and took the dogs on a "walk." I got padlocks that day and a lock he couldn't reach for the kitchen door! I'll be praying, too! Yeah I can see how it happens to the best of us. It's just so tragic. Like I said in another post my oldest was so fast he had a habit of disappearing literally when I was watching him. One time he slipped through some church doors and I couldn't believe it because I practically blinked and he was gone. I was watching him the whole time. No evidence the doors were even opened. Some nice ladies walked him back to our group. I was so scared after that and had to watch him like a hawk. What has happened here is just so sad. I don't even want to imagine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Ugh. I feel like someone just punched me in the stomach. I am so sorry for the family. Praying for God to comfort them as much as it is possible for Him to do so. :angelsad2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Yeah I can see how it happens to the best of us. It's just so tragic. Like I said in another post my oldest was so fast he had a habit of disappearing literally when I was watching him. One time he slipped through some church doors and I couldn't believe it because I practically blinked and he was gone. I was watching him the whole time. No evidence the doors were even opened. Some nice ladies walked him back to our group. I was so scared after that and had to watch him like a hawk. What has happened here is just so sad. I don't even want to imagine. Yes, this happened locally to a homeschooling family this week. Mom went upstairs for a few minutes to check on the older girls' progress leaving the 3yo playing quietly; in a heartbeat he managed to squeeze through the doggie door and drown in their pool. I've been reading comments like, "it just goes to show there is no substitute for vigilance" in the news reports. People are so quick to heap blame on the family just as they are suffering. These things happen every day and blessedly don't usually end tragically. When they do, the last thing the family needs is to be publicly torn apart. Both families are in my thoughts tonight. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I want to add, more strongly, that there will be people who will want to blame the parents for every tragedy that involves the accidental death of a child. In these cases, no matter how above blame the parents were, there ALWAYS are people who want to make it a case of negligence. If the parents messed up, see, then everyone else can rest easy--we ALWAYS know where our kids are, so such a thing can NEVER happen to us. First, those parents are lying to themselves. No matter how superhuman they are, they sleep and use the bathroom--never mind cook, read, etc., etc.--like everybody else. All it takes is the time to prepare a PB&J, and a toddler has time to slip out the door that your 7-y-o didn't lock. All it takes is going around to the back of the car to load groceries and for your child to discover that five-point safety harnesses are now within his strength to unbuckle, and he can be in front of a car. Or for your one-year-old to discover that she can climb out of her crib for the first time in the middle of the night, after which she crawls to the bathroom and falls headfirst into the toilet and drowns. It can happen to ANYONE. Pretending that kids get hurt only because parents mess up is horrible on so many levels that I can barely begin to express it. Second, I've never met a parent who really does watch their children "every second" (*not* counting going to the bathroom and sleeping, and those sorts of things), though I've met plenty who believe that they do. Funnily enough, when a mother goes off about how such-and-such would NEVER happen with her child because she ALWAYS knows where her kid is and ALWAYS watches her, and then I go to her house, we usually sit in the living room while the kids come in and out of the living room, the kitchen, the bedrooms, etc., just like any mother does. Do we listen for them? Sure. Does she "never let them out of her sight?" Yeah, right. Her kids haven't nearly killed themselves mainly because of personality and statistics, not because she's the world's greatest mom. Third, not only is hyper-vigilance unrealistic, it isn't a sign of good parenting, anyway, and on average, it won't make kids safer. Horrible things can happen no matter how vigilant you are, but in many ways, being MORE vigilant makes them MORE likely because a child has so few chances to gather bumps and bruises without constant parental warnings that he makes poor risk-taking choices whenever he does find himself alone--and that can be in a much more dangerous situation than if he were routinely exposed to very small dangers first. Fourth, some children are just plain impossible to keep complete control of--and many children in the more normal spectrum have their moments, too. And a moment is all it takes. Ever been going out of church and turned around when someone calls your name? Ever stopped for a moment to decide on the brand of soup you want at the grocery store? Ever looked at a fast food menu for a half minute, deciding what to get? THAT'S how fast some kids will disappear. I recently saw a child with a T-shirt that said, "My name is Bobby. I am autistic. If I am found, please call 911 and 555-555-5555." Apparently, the child was so prone to disappearing that the parents, as it's impossible to bodily strap a child to you at all times, had resorted to making up all his shirts in this way. If you haven't had an autistic kid who takes off, you CANNOT understand exactly how bad it can be. From that extreme, children run the whole gamut to those who are practically glued to your leg at all times. But I promise that there is not a parent out there of a semi-mobile child whose child has not, at one time or another, been in a situation that was possibly, however distantly, fatal. We are all reminded of that possibility when tragedies like this occur, and we should respond with heartbreak and compassion, not criticism even in the depths of our hearts. Children do die of reckless endangerment, of course, just as they die of willful violence--but this was no such case. As I said, it reminds us, most painfully, of the vulnerability of our own families, but it should also remind us of the blessing that with so many dangers out there that this doesn't happen more often to more of us. Let's unite in our empathy and prayers for a sister who has suffered a loss that absolutely ANY of us might have faced and might yet face and ask God for his mercy on us all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 There are no words. My prayers are with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Reya is so correct on this one!! My youngest is autistic and, although she is 6 1/2, she has the judgment of a 3 year old -- if that! She's extremely impulsive. About 3 or 4 months ago, I had left the house to take my oldest daughter to work and forgot to close the overhead garage door. She walked right out of the house. About 10-15 minutes later, my husband realized that the house was too quiet and noticed the open door. My daughter had walked a mile and a half down our street and was playing on someone's swingset! The folks who live at the house noticed her there (it was a Sunday, thankfully!! Otherwise, they wouldn't have been home!!) and tried to talk to her. When they realized that she was non-verbal, they called the police. My husband was driving up and down our street, calling for her and he saw the police car and stopped to tell them, "My daughter's missing and she's autistic." And the police officer said, "We've found her." They were very understanding (the police officer had a niece who was autistic), but it scared us sooo bad!!! We immediately installed an alarm system and it's kept armed at all times. I could be this family!! And that's soo scary!! (We have a lake behind our house and acres and acres of woods) It is such a tragedy!! I will be praying for the family! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamapjama Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 This is so heartbreaking. I don't want to try to imagine the parents' grief. My thoughts and prayers are with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie in Oh Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 truly. Nothing affects me worse than the drowning death of a child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimber Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I'm so sorry, Kate. I'm praying for them. Kimberly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Everything seems so trite in comparison, my heart breaks for the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Did I miss a link to her blog? I probably shouldn't go there though. This is so sad. I will be praying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Did I miss a link to her blog? I did too somehow? I am praying for this family :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doran Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 The little boy was pulled from the pond. He is gone. Please please pray for this family. Even trying to fathom this is painful. There is no salve to put on such a wound, but Kate, when it's right, please let your friends know that we are holding them in our hearts and sending strength. I'm so very sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheezie Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Oh no. I am praying for the family. :( Having buried a child before (a baby), I still cannot imagine losing an older child/toddler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Prayers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelaniePA Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 There are no words for me at this moment. I'll be praying for the family and everyone involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepy Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 :crying: Holding my 3yo very close today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Keeping this family in prayer. So sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Did I miss a link to her blog? I probably shouldn't go there though. This is so sad. I will be praying. I did too somehow? I am praying for this family :( Kate removed the link early this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I woke up 2 or 3 times in the middle of the night last night (which I never do) and prayed for this family. It was the first thing on my mind when I woke up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camy-7 boybarians 1 lady Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Oh, Kate, I'm praying! Please keep us updated. Blessings, Camy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camy-7 boybarians 1 lady Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 So sad... Praying for that dear family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugglin'5 Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Yes. You sit and think, "At this very moment, a mother like me, a mother of a three year old boy, has learned that her child is gone. Just like that." I just...I don't know how one goes on. I imagine myself 'til my dying die, yearning to rewind and relive that one day and do it all differently. These are the times when I am far from comforted by the concept of God's omniscience. To accept the notion that He blessed this family with a child, knowing the boy would drown at his own home on this day. I can not pray to God at such a time. I can only admit my anger and lack of understanding to Him and ask that the Holy Spirit intercede on my behalf. Colleen, these thoughts really express mine as well. I think they are natural, and I think God understands when we feel this way. Thank you for posting them. I feel sick at my stomach. "Lord, I can't pray, help me to pray!" I live out in the country with a pond not too far away, and these things feed my fears. That poor mother and father. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugglin'5 Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Oh my goodness! I just read that Chronicle article and this happened in my hometown! I don't watch the news, so this is the first I've heard of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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