One of the secretaries in my group called in sick. Her five year old niece was killed in a driveby shooting last night. She was safe in her house, the bullet came through the window, and she was dead. May you find peace and an endless stack of presents under a pink xmas tree with sparkly ornaments, wee girl.

Oh, God. Oh, no.

Oh, god. That's just too horrible.

Peace to your coworker, Allyson, although it can't come easily or soon.

Oh, Allyson. There are no words. That's just horrific.

That's horrible Allyson. (and an understatement.)

That poor family.

Oh man. That is so incredibly horrific. Her poor family. Poor little girl. God.

When something like this happens, I am always shocked by my own taste for vigilante-style justice. I want the law to tie the shooter to a chair and let that child's family have their way with him.

Oy. Random horrible child death for Christmas. Condolences utterly inadequate.

He's 40. You may not be. I actually have no clue as to your age.

Like Alibelle, I am 22.

or possibly I will be twice that come June

When something like this happens, I am always shocked by my own taste for vigilante-style justice. I want the law to tie the shooter to a chair and let that child's family have their way with him.

I'm feeling that all too often, lately.

Allyson, a bit of peace to your co-worker's family. And many, many jail-house love-ins to the worthless fuck that killed that child.

I saw it on the news this morning.

Then my lead secretary called and told me she was the niece of the woman who took my old postion. She's just so lovely, and my heart hurts for her and her family.

22 and 44 are two of my favorite numbers--Ben's too (whom I just hugged, extra tight, for nothing, and for everything), Hec.

...

When something so heartbreaking is so damned random, I don't know how people cope. Death is enough to break a person, when there is some rhyme and reason.