God Speed Mary Lou!

Today is a sad day. Or maybe it's a happy day. You decide......................

On Christmas eve our kids (5 of 'em) and their spouses (4 of 'em) and the grandkids (6 of 'em) were here and we were celebrating Christmas. We try to do this so they can be home for Christmas. I remember being dragged all over the continent on Christmas Day visiting various family members and never being able to stay home and play with the new loot. Any type of event here at our house involves alot of booze and fire. If you'll remember, on Thanksgiving I only set the oven on fire twice. For Christmas I didn't set anything on fire.....WOO HOO!!! Everyone stands outside, with drink of choice in hand, and stares into whatever fire the guys have created. For Christmas, it had been set in a 55 gallon drum (DOH! That's ever so suave and de-boner). We have a designed space in the backyard for a bonfire, but NOOOOOOO....they set the drum on fire........I digress........

I walked out on the back porch after several hours and my husband was sitting in a rocking chair with "THE LOOK" on his face. My eyes darted to the right and then to the left to see if maybe someone other than me was the target of "THE LOOK", but I was alone........it was me........ I immediately ransacked my small, pitiful brain trying to figure out what I had done wrong when he suddenly said........."Chris called and said someone hit Mary Lou and killed her". It's one of those times when I heard everything he said, but it wasn't registering. "WHAT?" I said. Mary Lou is a dear friend of ours and goes to our church. She lives within walking distance of church and was crossing the highway (the "highway" is a small 2 lane road out in the country) to attend the candle light service, and was hit by another member of our church and killed, hopefully instantly. Chris was there and tried performing CPR to no avail. The guy that hit her had his young wife and her young son with him in his truck. They have been married less than a year. He said he didn't see her, yet she was wearing white slacks and a red sweater. No charges were filed.

The memorial service is at 10:00 this morning and since my husband has to work, I have to go alone. I won't be alone because I know and love everyone at church, but my rock won't be by my side. This is one of those times that I have to buck up and be strong, not only for me, but for Mary Lou. Mary Lou was strong. She was 82 years old and as her daughter-in-law said, "she had a lot of life still left in her". Mary Lou cared for her disabled granddaughter, Amanda, every day of the week. Mary Lou was strong and loving. I know exactly where she is right now and she's whole and happy, but she will be missed.............terribly.

~Blessings~
Sandi