Where everybody knows your name.....

There is nothing like a tragedy in a small town to bring a community to their knees. Last night, this small town indeed suffered a horrific tragedy that still has yet to have the final chapter written. A tremendous young man, full of promise and with a great future, suffered a gunshot wound to the head. With no speculation intended and prolific apologies if I'm wrong, it appears from all reports to have been self-inflicted. This young man is a freshman at RHS, "sandwiched" by my sophomore and 8th grader, and was coached by Mike in football this past fall. His Mom is a personal long-time friend of mine, and I have spent the last 12+ hours in disbelief. The entire town has been shaken to its core by this one. Max is currently at Harborview in Seattle, clinging to life, while his Dad hurries in from a fishing boat in the Bering Sea , and the rest of the family just sits and waits for the decisions to come. This family doesn't fit the profile that we've all come to expect with these situations. Four brash and energetic boys(Max is the oldest)......a stay-at-home Mom.......a successful Dad that works a large commercial fishing boat......a huge and beautiful home..........For pete's sake, they even took in an "extra" this past fall, no questions asked, when a local boy needed a safe and warm place to stay. Mom joked with me one day that she bought him a new package of underwear because his were coming through her dirty laundry in tatters, and that was the end of that--she now had FIVE boys.

With Jennica's VEEG at Mary Bridge, Dane's wrestling matches, Tiersten's new first grade teacher, Grant's basketball games, and work, I have spent the last three weeks running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Today, I am humbled beyond belief and reminded to SLOW DOWN. My priorities have been re-arranged in an instant and if someone doesn't like it, OH WELL!!!

To Jody, Tate, Elliott, Cooper, Carson....and Max.......we love you all! May peace be with you through the coming hours and days.