I had a flood of memories come back after reading rrtr2007's last journal entry. In 1998 I was (and still am) good friends with a young lady at my work. We both had daughters, she had one and I had two (no sond for either of us). Her daughter was Callie and my youngest is Alexsis. They made good friends and used to hang out together alot.

 Right after Callie's 16th birthday she was driving herself to school, just got her license, and a car for her birthday. Her birthday was in November and this day I am speaking of was in March. She was hit by a drunk driver who crossed into her lane and actually drove right up the drivers side of the car and over Callie's head. We remember getting the call from work about what had happened earlier that morning, we could only imagine what our close friend was going through.

I immediately drove to the state capital (where the hospital was) to be with my friend and her family and try to console her or just be there for her however she needed. I stayed with her for a whole week, and waited, and waited, and waited while her little girl struggled to stay alive. It was the most emotional experience of my life. A week later DeLaine was forced to pull the plug on her daughters life, no brain wave activity is what the doctor told her. Callie went to heaven that day,

I still cannot imagine what DeLaine went through at that moment, what I do remember vividly is the sound of a Mother crying for her baby.I knew I never wanted to hear that again.

We took a trip together a few months later to the ocean, sat in the sand together, drank much wine, cried forever it seems. But I do remember looking up at the sky at all the stars and wondering why God had put me in the position of going through this with my friend. Not knowing that it was what would happen to me a few short years later.

I watched my friend go through all the highschool things you just mentioned in your entry, it was highly emotional and very draining, but she is very happy to this day that she went through that. She says now that it made her stronger.

Strength is where it's at too. All the while we miss our babies and we pound the floor with our fists, we weep, and we pray. It all comes together to form this unbreakable web of emotions that surround us and make us strong. I never knew that strength was in me until I came to DS. Until I had the chance to listen to all of you here. DeLaine is the strongest woman next to my Mom that I have ever known. She was a pillar of strength when her daughter went to Heaven, a true Southern Belle. One of my fondest mentors.

All I know is reading your entry was beautiful, and beautifully written, I was truly touched. Thank you so much for the memories.

You know to this day Alexsis will not get a driver's license, and she is 23 now.                   Wow! Gonna have to work on that one!