Thursday, January 13, 2005

Robert Holohan

The ultimate nightmare. Parents worry all the time. Kids get sick and hurt all the time. Sometimes their illnesses and/or injuries are so severe that they die. The thought of anything like that happening to any of your children (and I don't care if you have one or 21) is God awful. But, a deliberate, selective murder is worse.

For the past week, like everyone else here, I hoped that somehow 11 year old Robert Holohan was all right. I kept hoping that there were things they weren't telling us. You know, like a deranged but essentially harmless relative had taken him to England or whatever.

Yesterday they found his body and it appears he was murdered. I don't know how the Holohans can go on. Of course they must, for the sake of their two other children, but I honestly don't know how they'll do it.

We're all feeling a little more jittery today. Every time I picture that little guy on his new bike . . .

There's nothing we can do. Nothing to help the Holohans. Nothing to take away that fear that it could be us. Nothing but pray.