So it's not always all about me...

Lest you think I've grown up and lost my propensity to narcissism, just know I've got something bigger than myself to talk about today. Tomorrow I'll return to self-absorbency, I'm sure.
On Wednesday night, I talked with my sister on the phone. She'd had something terrible go down in her neighborhood. The 13-year-old boy across the street, an only child with incredible parents, tried to take his own life. Sister only knew because there were myriad emergency response vehicles parked in front of her house. She saw the medics taking the boy out on a stretcher and trying to revive him, and the parents speed off in their car behind the ambulance. While she and I were on the phone, she had another call. It was her neighbor calling from the hospital, asking her to check to make sure the police had properly locked her house. She told my sister what happened-- and I'll spare you the details, but this poor woman found her own son. My sister and brother-in-law took care of their dogs. And after a horrific 17-hours, the young man died.
I've hardly been able to think about anything else. I've tried to distract myself, and work and a little TV helped, but I've stayed up tossing and turning and praying for these parents. I don't know them. We've just waved. But all I can think about is what it would be like to live in that house after such a tragedy. I've asked myself what makes a THIRTEEN year old so desperate that he gives up all hope? I've been praying constantly for the family to be comforted. All I know is that whilst I happily watched Strawberry Short Cake with my sweet little nieces, there was a little boy 40 miles away who felt like he couldn't go on. I couldn't have done anything, but who else COULD I do something for who is in my sphere of influence?