Touched by a tragedy

The horrific bridge collapse here in Minneapolis has touched my family in many ways.

First, Julia Blackhawk is my cousin's daughter. You can find a lot in the media about her, but not as much as some of the other victims. This is because Julia's mother is trying to protect her family from the jackals in the media. Can you believe that reporters started calling her at her house at 6am? I know they have a job to do and news gathering is a dog-eat-dog world, etc., but can't they save that treatment for the the politicians and celebrities? Why can't they be more sensitive with the ones who are in the spotlight by happenstance, not to mention tragedy? My poor cousin had finally gotten a few hours of exhausted, greiving sleep when the phone started ringing non-stop.

I would appreciate your prayers for Julia, who died a sudden, unprepared death. Ray Marshall over at Stella Borealis sent me an email from an acquaintance on a listserve to which he belongs who happens to be a Dominican priest in San Francisco. His community is saying a mass for Julia! Fr. Francis Goode, O.P. from St. Dominics said that an older priest in the community has been praying everyday for the victims and the rescuers. I love the Dominicans.

Then Monday they buried Pat Holmes, who coached little kids' sports teams. My brother Brad coached with him and his daughter Summer was on the soccer and baseball teams with Pat's kid.

Sherry Engebretsen worked in the Thrivent building where my other brother Bryan's wife LouAnn runs LouAnn's Coffee Shop. Sherry often stopped in and my sister-in-law knew her.

Lord have mercy on all the souls of the faithful departed.