Times

I have been communicating with a friend  who lived in IA when we lived there.  Her husband babysat for us once and he can remember Heather (who was a toddler) crying the whole time I was gone. 

They moved shortly after we moved to Ankeny,IA  and at that time they stayed overnight at our house with their moving truck in our driveway.....the very night the tornado struck our town.

Judy and I took a walk afterward, around midnight, to see the damage.  There were a LOT of people out.  We were awed by what had happened.  I remember we kept saying things like  "wow"! ....and we didn't even go over to the part of town REALLY  hit.  There - many homes were demolished  and 2 people  were killed. We heard that their home was hit after they had gone to bed. 

About 20 months ago Judy lost her younger sister to cancer.  She took care of her until the end. It's odd  remembering  before things like that happen.... when life was normal and you still had your loved ones and you have NO idea that there will be some tragedy that will happen that will connect you in a way that you never suspected.  There is a definite blessing in not being able to see into the future.