today a friend called to tell me that another mutual friend was in a horrific car accident in which one of her three small children died and she is now in the icu with just about everything broken, including her skull. she's going to be in a body cast in traction for at least six weeks they think. her oldest daughter who was about 8 died. her two younger children, 5 and 2 are pretty much fine and home with grandparents. i've never really processed emotions well - especially ones that involved tragedy and sadness. when my friend rachel died in elementary school, i think it was years before it hit me. Same with Grandpa Bob - several years later i started really missing him and feeling quite sad. This, however, is rocking my world. i just saw her yesterday. her kid died. and she's in a hospital heavily sedated and her world is forever darker. what the heck. what do you do? i think the freakiest bit for me is that i can put myself in her situation much easier than i can put myself in the others. i just can't even imagine what they're going through - what her husband is feeling, what her kids are feeling, what she's thinking about - how do you face the next day, how you talk to your kids, any of that.