The ones you see but don't know

I want to present a challenge. But first, let me fill you in on the reason why.

The elementary kids on my street wait in front of my house every morning at 8:30am and in the afternoon at 3:30pm for the bus. Most the time, I'm in too much of a hurry trying to get Gage ready for preschool because we woke up late, to go out and chat with the mom's while they wait. But every once in a while, I am on time and I will go out and say hi and chat.

There are usually 3 mom's out there. One just had a baby so she has her daughter catch a ride with a friend and the other just moved so I don't see those kids/moms at the stop any more. And now, I don't see anyone there. Last Saturday night, I was driving home from a friends where I just got done watching the Women's Session of General Conference. There were 2-3 police cars parked about 5 houses down from us across the street. Their lights weren't flashing and noone was outside so I didn't think much of it. There was a gurney on the front lawn but I just figured it was a false alarm.

Last night, while sitting around the fire with our neighbors, they clued me in. They said that this other mom (let's call her Lucy) that waited at the bus stop every morning, had been having marital issues. Long story short, they had a big argument and the dad took his son over to his grandma's. Later he came back with the police (because he couldn't get inside) to find that Lucy had hung herself.

I'm not telling all of you this to make you depressed or anything. I just feel ... I guess the best word for it is regret. Even though I just met her at the beginning of the school year and have really only talked to her a few times, I feel like I should have made more of an effort. And isn't it sad that it takes something drastic or sad to make you think, "I should get to know them better." I'm not saying I could have even made a difference, but atleast I would have tried.

So the challenge: Think of that person that you see all the time or even on occasion that you haven't really taken the time to get to know, and get to know them better. You never know what difference it will make.

I guess Lucy had a sister who committed suicide at this same age as well. My neighbor said that when Lucy's mom was told that she had committed suicide, the mom said, "Well, it doesn't surprise me." How sad.

So, there it is, the challenge and the reason behind it.