today

Tuesday we got up, it was kind of wild here, it was a day like every(any) other day. We went to town for my hair appointment, stopped by the Salvation Army, and got a cherry coke from the whip dip, and headed for home.

We sat in the front yard,it was a nice fall morning, and no rain, a nice break from the damp gloomies we have had lately.

The first phone call came about 11:30. One of Bens' friends and co-workers had been fatally injured at work, he was dead on the scene...4 more calls followed in rapid succession...It was true, it was horrible,it was unbelievable.

I rode out with Ben to go meet a co-worker, he wanted to hear the facts again, plainly spoken, straight from the horses mouth if you know what i mean. The sad truth remains a very well thought of hard-working man, the husband and father of 4 young children was gone.

In a community as small as ours this is huge, our phone hasn't quit ringin since this happened as we have known the family for years. Jonathan and Connor have spent a lot of time with this family. They all love to fish, and love to go to the lake and spend the day. The boys have taken his death very hard. As adults we don't understand, and children really seem to struggle.

I have always known the brick plant is a dangerous place, and Ben has had a few close calls there, it is a reminder, that we don't have tomorrow, we are promised nothing ..We get up and some days are good, and some are bad, but we always go to be thinking tomorrow, and we don't know if that tomorrow will ever come.

Ben has said over, and over he was one of the good ones, one of the truly good people he knew, and thought you could count on. Sunday night, when Ben came in from work, he was upset about an abandoned puppy he saw at the plant. It was injured, and even though we are puppy rich right now, at the end of his shift he looked for the puppy to bring it home. He never did find the puppy. Yesterday, we took some food we had prepared over to the family. His wife is from a large indian clan here in town, and family is coming from all over the state. His casket was in the living room in traditional indian fashion. His wife was sitting beside it, she was to distraught to speak at all. I have known her sister since they were in school, and her mother also, and we talked for a few minutes, then left. As we walked back to the car, Ben said do you remember the puppy I told you about, I replied yes, he said there it is. A wet, limping puppy was playing in the yard with an assortment of children. Ben said again he was one of the good ones, and then my husband started to cry..

We all got in the car, it was raining again, and silently drove back home, me choking on tears, the wailing of his very young wife still ringing in my ears, and my husbands and sons grief hanging in the air, almost like fog. It was swirling around me,and I had no words to comfort anyone, because we have no answer to why...

Eternal Rest grant unto him Oh Lord, and may your perpetual light shine upon him...Rest in Peace Ricardo...