I haven't posted as frequently this summer. Nothing personal; I still enjoy the blog. It just seems like there's always an excuse not to.
The most recent excuse was that I didn't quite know how to follow up my last post. It seems inappropriate to make little jokes or talk about my pet peeves after previously referencing a child's death. But even though I've been lamenting this tragedy that past few days, I somehow seem to function throughout the rest of year when there are just as many unspeakable incidents that happen around the world every day. Of course, we tend to overlook these events, only affected when disaster comes to our own neighborhood.
Although I can't really claim to know Dr. Edwards personally, we had a class or two together in grad school (I had many friends in that Counseling program with her who can claim a much closer bond). What I do remember from our limited interaction is that she was a very kind person. She was also somewhat introverted, so this intense media attention compounds the tragedy. Regardless of what rabid web commenters will offer, I observe that she was not the prototypical uber-professional woman forsaking her child for career. Despite the many that will continue to vilify her, I hope for comfort in this situation and encourage you to keep Dr Edwards, her friends and her family in your prayers.
But, like with every tragedy, those of us left behind must continue to grapple with everyday life. And that means moving forward. When the tears dry out, we go back to laughing, and thinking, and loving— transitioning back to life. So even though our lives are no longer the same, they still need to be lived.