Forgive me for taking the thread in a bit of a different direction, but it's getting late and i wanted to respond to a couple of heartfelt comments from earlier today.
The sun is never really going to rise for them again.
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Having lost both of my children (NOT under the same horrific circumstances as Tori), this sentence struck me as particularly poignant. There truly are no words to express it all, so forgive my rambling, seemingly unrelated thoughts.
By way of Hope though, Heliotrope
the sun does rise again some day
it may be a long time down the road, and when you arent expecting it. But maybe it is a different sun than others see. There truly are no words, and only those who have been there can begin to understand.
I met a stranger the other day .. she had lost her son last year due to a tragic, freak accident. We had a connection that two strangers would not normally have
hearts joined together with a feeling and a knowledge that no others can be expected to feel or understand. As we talked about the loss of her son and the loss of my son and daughter, I became very aware of a strange atmosphere/aura around us but I said nothing. Within a minute or so, she abruptly said to me Do you feel it?. I knew what she meant, so it was very real to both of us. Perhaps it was something from beyond, or perhaps it was something that can only be experienced by hearts that know or share a certain pain of life. I dont know for sure
but I dont question it anymore. Maybe some hearts are meant to hurt so we can help others whose pain is even more recent, more raw, more horrific than our own.
And to our cute-as-a-bug robynhood who says
...and I am sure their heart will never be the SAME as they lost their beloved daughter ...
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It is true, robynhood
the heart can never be the same, but it can eventually become mended in a fashion. Some stitching jobs better than others I guess. And just maybe, in my own sons words maybe our hearts have huge holes put in them to make room for what is going to be poured back in.
I wish Tara and Rodney and all Toris loved ones love and tremendous strength, and the hope that some day those awful gaping holes in their hearts will be filled more by the memories of their darling daughter Tori than the horror that she or they never should have known.