I don’t think I’ll be around much this week . . . I’m getting ready for John’s birthday party — he’ll be 4! I cannot believe it! I have lots to do around the house and I really want to concentrate on that. But also, because I received some disturbing news this morning.

An acquentence from high school — I can’t call her a friend. We never hung out or anything. But I knew her enough to say hi, and knew her enough that when I got her friend request on Face Book I accepted it, remembering that although we weren’t friends, she was always kind and smiling. Anyway, this morning I saw an odd post on Face Book about her, with ‘RIP’ after it.

At 37, with 4 children, it appears she committed suicide and endangered her children in doing so. They are all in the hospital with severe to moderate carbon monoxide poisoning. Just two days ago she posted pictures on Face Book of her son turning 10. Everything ‘looked’ fine.

It was not.

And now her life is being examined and dug into. People are speculating and talking total crap about things they know nothing about.

Here’s something I know something about: something was wrong. Horribly wrong. Somehow she kept the people close to her in the dark about how wrong things were. She did this, yes. But she does not deserve to have her name slandered, her parenting ablities questioned and on and on. Four children lost their momma. And my heart aches at that.

I discovered that when you know somebody, even know them just a little, and a thing like this happens . . . it affects you more than you expect. It was on the news. There was video. Newspaper articles. I heard her name coming from the mouths of reporters I have seen on TV for years. It’s surreal. Were we great friends? No. Did we post on each others walls and chat about our children? Only one time. But she was a mom. And in trouble. And suffering.

And so, I’m going to go spend some more time with my kids. I’m going to go plan the heck out of John’s party. Play some board games with the girls that I wouldn’t normally have time for. Go chase John around the yard. Because I have the time. I do.