Small Town Heart Break

Some people say that growing up in a small town is no fun because everyone knows your business. They've never lived in the town.

Growing up in a small town is something that cannot be explained. You leave that town with more "brothers" and "sisters" than you know what to do with.

Dave and I went to Cameron this weekend to celebrate the birthdays of 2 close friends. This morning when the phone at mom's rang at 5 a.m., there was no way good news was on the other end.

My brother was calling, one of his life long friends had just been killed in a car wreck.

See, Sam had left his cell phone at Circle S and instead of unlocking it the doors and putting the phone inside, I brought it to Mom's. Mom heard the cell phone go off at 5 and right after is when the home phone rang. Sam and Tommy stopped by to get the phone and they were off to see what really happened.

At that moment, everyone though it was a big mistake. See, in my small town, everyone lived around the same block. So, mom and I get dressed and walk to the Harris', well Barbara and Christy are already gone, so we immediately get in the car to go out to David and Tiffany's to see what has happened.

While we're all thinking it's a bad dream and at any moment, we're going to wake up, we get to Tiffany's and find that it's true. David had been killed. It's still so surreal and at this moment in time, I am still totally numb.

Mom isn't taking it well. She's known "Little" David since he was 7 and the boys started playing baseball together. My Brother and Tommy are trying to hold it together, barely... My heart is broken because there is nothing I can do.

The boys are all thinking the same thing... "Why? How? How do you tell these 3 little boys that their daddy isn't coming home?" As fathers themselves, they have the chore of going home and telling their children that Lance, Luke and Landon's dad won't be around anymore. They boys are close, but their children are little, tiny versions of Sam, Tommy, Trey, and David. It's like watching my childhood all over again.

As we all gathered this morning, we witnessed a beautiful sunrise over the top of the hill. It was breath-taking. I don't know that I have ever seen a more solemn and beautiful moment in time.

As Christy said, we know God has a plan for each of us, but he was only 36. He has 3 little boys, tell me how this plan is supposed to be okay?

I love my husband, I've told you all that before. It's been a tough year for my family and friends, heart surgery, a death from the war, Dad's heart attack, Helen's death, and now this. Every single time, my husband stood beside me and held me, gave me a shoulder to cry on, and told me whatever I wanted to do is what we would do.

He told me on the way home today that he told Tommy, he's never seen anything like it. How this circle of friends, aren't friends at all, but they are a family. Even Tiffany's mom said she has never seen anything like the scene this morning. Calls started going out at 5 and by 6 people were standing out in the cold, on the hill with Tiffany. We didn't go in the house because the boys had slept in the living room and we didn't want to wake them.

What hurts even more is knowing that this isn't the first time these same boys have dealt with this type of tragedy. In 2001, their close friend and classmate Chad was killed in an auto accident in Arkansas. Life is so unfair. There are no guaranties.

You never know what God's plan is. How could we have ever known after seeing David last night, that we'd never see him again?

Life can be way too short, cherish each and every moment you have with your friends and loved ones. Never take anything for granted. Again, I sign off telling each and every one of you how much you mean to me. I love you all dearly.

Shelly