Too Close to Home

Before we decided on our current house, we were also thinking of another house on a lake. We took a family vote and we all chose our current house. Then we heard of a boating accident at the other lake in June, one person died and the driver of the boat had been drinking.

I had thought to myself, "I am so glad we didn't choose that lake". I admit it, I was being a snob and thought to myself that our current location, the residents would know better...not so. There was a boating accident Saturday night. We weren't here, but we heard about it from family and friends the next day.

Like the other boating accident, the driver of this boat had been drinking AND was speeding at 10:00 at night. He rounded the corner and slammed into the sea wall. Seven were on board and two fell out. One died the next day in the hospital.

How tragic for both families. We found out the driver of the boat lives across from us and now I stare at their house thinking how much suffering is going on in their house.

The family of the deceased of course are suffering a great loss. They have been on tv quite a lot. So heartbreaking to see the four young daughters and wife in such pain. The wife was also on the boat when this all occurred. Imagine seeing your loved one in the lake at night, how horrifying.

I do have sympathy for the owner of the boat, but mostly for his family, they now have to suffer the consequences of his actions. We have witnessed the kids out on the boat late many nights. As a parent, I would never allow this. Now the father has paid the ultimate price for his actions and now so has his family.

We all have to take accountability for our actions. We are role models for our children. They see and hear everything we do from how we act inside the house to out in public. Just watch and listen to little kids play, it's amazing how they pretend to be adults and say the exact things you just said. They hear things we don't think they hear, they see how much we drink or don't drink. We send them the messages that it's okay to do things even if we say they cannot.

I'm not saying I don't have faults, I certainly do, but I am aware of how I act and what I say in public, but most importantly, in my own home.

My prayers go out to both families for they are both suffering now.