Simply Sad

I'm having a hard time coping with several recent tragedies that have touched me deeply and left me feeling like I'm not able to do nearly enough to help:

• My next door neighbor's five month old son has needed two heart surgeries since his birth and has spent about half of his life so far in a hospital. Last week it looked like he would need an immediate heart transplant but he seems to have turned around and should be home within two weeks (he's at a hospital several hours from home). Still I think the road ahead will not be an easy one. We've helped this family by maintaining their yard, but it feels so inadequate.
• Neither of my girls are from the region in China that has been rocked by the earthquake and aftershocks, but my heart aches for the countless families who have been left childless and the children who have been left without parents. Tootle has been moved by the media coverage and has agreed to ask for donations to Half the Sky's earthquake fund in lieu of presents at her upcoming birthday party. I wish we could go to China to help in the relief efforts.
• Most mornings when I leave for work, the girls are also leaving with Nana to walk to Doodle's bus stop. I am always very cautious as I leave the driveway to make sure that Tootle is not behind my station wagon, but now I ensure that they have already headed down the street before I go and Maria Chapman's sweet face flashes before my eyes. I also make sure that I head in the opposite direction because if I drive the same route as the rest of the family, Tootle runs after the car and makes me very nervous. I am continuing to pray for the wonderful Chapman family, but again it feels inadequate.

Later this week we celebrate the third anniversary of Tootle joining our family, and next week is Tootle's sixth birthday, so I hope these joyous events will lift me out of my funk.