Lucky

(McGyver Cole)

I'm extremely lucky. Fortunate. Blessed.

This I know all too well. Sometimes it's the damn media that has to (graciously) remind me.

Watching 'The Office' last night and to hear, "Breaking news in Tacoma: the body of 12 year old Zina Lennik was found this evening around 6pm"....... I just crumbled. Cole was already asleep, but I went in to his room, crying and kissed him.

Zina lived just 5 blocks away from Shawn.

I drove by her house numerous times and didn't know this beautiful young girl or what her future would hold. I'm so saddened for her family and their unspeakable loss.

How ironic that I just finished reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. The fictional story of a young girl who is murdered. Told in first person, she talks about her family, her killer and her Heaven. Highly recommended.

Then checking email at work today and I read a small blurb on AOL about a 4 year old who drowned in the wave pool at Great America. Four. I assume he was like Cole at 4 - lively and fun and full of life. His parent(s) take him to the water park for a day of fun in the sun and things take a drastic turn.

I am extremely grateful for the 6+ years I have had with Cole, I only pray to have a lifetime. Our incident at Target a few months ago was enough for me. Losing him for 2 minutes was longer than I ever want to experience again. I know most people might not think as morbidly as I do, but being a parent, it's on my mind more than I'd like to think. I don't let it consume me but the "what ifs" are always there.

I'm thankful.

As I heard my friend Dannie once say, "go and hug your babies"