Joy and Sorrow on Labor Day

 Our Labor Day was so special this year.

 A houseful of guests - two of whom came the night before to spend their anniversary night at the Fisher B&B ;-) - made it a day full of joy...

 ...laughter...

 ...a yummy feast...

 ...fun conversation...

 ...games...

 ...and a taste of the country - including a visit to our garden, our neighbor's produce wagon, and our local peach orchard to stock up on fresh fruit and veggies - for our city friends.  :)

But despite the abundance of happiness that pervaded the time our guests were here, I cannot think of this Labor Day without feeling a blanket of sorrow descend on my soul.  You see, late that afternoon, a 12 year-old girl was hit in the road in front of our neighbor's house.

It's ironic: during the course of our conversation that day, one of our guests asked me if I feel safe letting my kids play outside, especially with the danger from the road.  I answered rather nonchalantly, telling her a little about how we set boundaries and establish trust, and how the boys have each had their moment of pushing the boundaries and learning from it.  I also emphasized how, in general, the boys do a good job of looking out for each other, and that's so helpful.

And then...

Not an hour after our guests had departed to drive back to their homes in northern Virginia, sirens sounded and a crowd gathered.  A young girl, walking along the road with her friends who live across the road from us, had started to go out into the road - I don't know why - and was tragically struck by a minivan, the third vehicle in a group from Pennsylvania that was traveling together.

She wasn't the first child to be hit here on our stretch of this road.  Many years ago, before I was born, but while my parents and my two oldest siblings lived here, a boy named Jeff who lived directly across the road from our house ran into the road during a game of hide-and-seek, was struck by a passing car, and died.  His parents still live in that same house.  What must have been racing through their minds as they saw the rescue vehicles on Monday and heard about another child being hit in that road?

In our front yard stands a huge pine tree, sold to my parents so long ago by Jeff Miller as a fundraiser for his Boy Scout troop.  It honors his memory - a life inexplicably cut short.

The girl in the accident on Monday?  As far as I know, she still lives.  She was transported across the mountain to a larger hospital; but since then, I haven't heard anything about her condition.  I, and many others, have prayed so much for her.  As my thoughts fly across the mountain to her hospital room, my prayers fly upward to God who sees all, knows all, and never lets a sparrow fall without His knowledge.  May He hold her gently and touch her softly with His healing hands!