A sad story

I have the most unbelievable story. It really is one of those stories that as you hear it unfold, you just can't believe it. It sounds SO unreal. Believe me...as it unfolded in real life, we couldn't believe it either. It seemed unreal.

It wasn't anything that happened to me. It didn't happen to any one I was really close to either. But the casualties hit all around our town. It was on the news, and in and out of the paper. The story took several years for it to even play out. And all of it was sad. Loud grieving sadness. I knew people in the story line and and watched from the side lines.

There was a family in our town. The woman who we can call Julie for the story was a teacher in our children's school. She and her husband had tried for years to have a child. They had even tried fertility treatments to no avail. After much disappointment and failure and money spent, and after they had not been able to conceive, they realized that on their own, once things had settled down, they had gotten pregnant themselves! It was a one in a million chance and when the baby was born, that is what they name him. Chance.

Now Julie and her husband had had quite some hardship in their lives. Julie's twin brother had been killed in a accident when they were 19, and Julie's husband was having medical problems too. He was in desperate need of a kidney and pancreas transplant.

When Tatum started Elementary school, this teacher was there and there were fundraisers and such going on for her husband who was quite sick needing the transplant. Chance was around 13 at this time. I remember quite clearly because this part of the story all unfolded while I was newly pregnant with Matt, and it shook me to the core.

One September Chance and his friend were out skating. There had been a big rain storm and no one is quite sure how or why it happened, but they believe one of the boys fell in the storm drain, and the other tried to pull him out which just drug him in too.

They were found hugging each other in each other's arms. They had both drowned.

Now Julie was at the site waiting to see if they could find him, and it was just so terrible. Our Principal who we will call Ms. H. was there to support her and was with her throughout the whole thing.

Their only child, their one in a million had died.

Julie continued to teach. Her husband ended up getting a transplant. They ended up getting a divorce though...alot of parents of children that pass have a really hard time making it.

Then her husband died too.

She had lost her brother, her son, and her husband.

By this time Tatum was in 4th grade and had her as a switch teacher. She was super nice. I remember she went through a faze where it was like she was trying to find herself. I believe she got her belly button pierced or something like that. I was discussing this with a friend, and they said...."you know...if your child died, you would still have other children and still be a mom. She doesn't know what she is anymore? She isn't someones mom...she isn't someones wife..." My heart just broke for her...

Rumors started spreading like rumors do about how close Ms H. and Julie were. They were BEST friends. They were always together. Ms H. the principal had been a teacher at my school when I was a little girl! She and I had worked together alot on the yearbook committee. She was a great great principal and really loved those kids! But Ms H. was in her 50's and single and never been married. Julie was in her 30's and attractive. They were an odd pair, but they loved each other's company. I thought nothing more of it. They had been through alot together with Mrs H. being there when Chance had died.

Around this time we moved away. To a new town. I heard updates about Julie and Ms H. and the rumors persisted. I was pregnant with Summer and the morning of my induction, early, my phone rang.

It was one of my friends from my old town. With baby being the only thing on my mind, when she asked me how I was doing I said "We are on our way to the hospital to have Summer!!". She wished me luck and we got off the phone. I thought it was odd of her to call so early, but I was off to have a baby!

Later that week, I found out why she had called. She didn't know that we were leaving for the hospital that day, and didn't want to ruin our special day, so she didn't say. The day before (the day before Summer was born), Ms H. had finished up a meeting a school, promptly hopped in her car...drove out to a bridge by where we live...stopped the car on the highway....and walked right off the edge.

Apparently her and Julie had broken up or had a rough patch the week before...it's still a little unclear. But the principal of the elementary school, a fighter who had dedicated her life to children, in a moment of despair, had without any hesitation, killed herself.

In water.


What do you do with that.

A trucker had seen her, and said she did not pause. There was question about a new med she had started. I still don't have answers to alot of my questions.

Julie was heard saying "Why does everyone around me, die?"

I have prayed and cried for this poor woman, who's life has been tumulus always it seems. I just don't know what I can do but be one of the many who gasp at the story and shake my head with how sad it all is. If I had an opportunity, it is now lost. Almost two years to the date of Ms H., Julie took her own life too. I found out this April. Off a bridge too.

I honestly cannot say why I felt so compelled to get this all out, but it is a story that has rattled me for years. It is finally finished at least. There are no more characters and now maybe they all can be at peace. I know some of you will argue, but the God I choose to honor has Mercy on all sins and ANY who call out to him shall be saved, so in my heart, maybe these guys are at peace.

I pray tonight for Chance and for Julie and her husband and for Ms. H.