From beyond the grave...

On Sunday last, during a rehearsal with my sister and her husband for our upcoming Celtic Christmas show, my brother-in-law let me know that cell phone numbers had been rearranged to make the best use of the plans and devices that were available, and that he now had my dad's old phone number. I noted this, but - as we were getting set up to rehearse - did nothing with this information.

Fast-forward to the next day, and I get a text from L saying that her battery has died, but that my sister is on her way to rescue her. God bless family. I chatted with her some while she waited on my sister to arrive, and

About 30 minutes or so later, I receive the text you see here. (Complete with the 'FUAutoCorrect'-style typo, but minus the mustache. That just seemed very much like a cooler option than a plain bar across the phone number...)

Yup. That's right. Nothing to see here, only my father texting me from beyond the grave!

Prayer of the Children

When I first heard what happened today in Connecticut, my first instinct was to want to run home and hold my daughter. It was nearly the end of my day by the time a friend told me what had happened, though, so I managed to hold out until quitting time.

On the drive to dinner (with L & El), I was thumbing through my music library, and found an old recording of my high school choir singing this song. Though I still remember all of the words, try as I might, I couldn't sing along.

My daughter is my world. I know that several people have said it before me, so I join them in saying that I cannot fathom what so many families are going through tonight. Simply hearing that another parent has been told that their child will never come home is utterly devastating.

I've only been able to watch the first few minutes of the President's address following this atrocity, and hearing the raw emotion in his voice - hearing the leader of the free world choke back a sob as he thinks about his own daughters - lets me know that I am at least in good company.

The song was written in a different time, in a different country, under different circumstances. I'm not saying that it is a perfect expression of the sorrow of today, but I'll share it anyway.

Prayer of the Children

Like so many tonight, my thoughts, prayers, and heart go out to the families and friends who lost loved ones today. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go hold my baby and thank God that I have a baby to hold.

Edit: Because, formatting. And labels.