A Long Weekend . . .

As you can imagine, this past weekend was filled with many tears, many hugs, and minutes that seemed to crawl by.

A lot of details have emerged in the past few days surrounding this horrific accident, details that I do not really feel are appropriate to share on this blog. Suffice it to say that at this point, they have officially suspended the search for the fourth crew member, and the Coast Guard is actively investigating what exactly happened last Thursday night. Brian is still stuck on a remote island with a broken plane and a heartbroken crew, and it doesn't look like he will be able to make it back any sooner than Thursday or Friday. He is restless there, wishing that he could be back here with his air station, but for the moment, his hands are tied. Meanwhile, everyone here has begun the grieving and healing process, sharing their time with family and friends in memory of these fallen men.

Last night there was a fundraiser for the family of the flight mechanic that lost his life on the helicopter . . . sort of an impromptu, informal gathering for people to find solace in the company of others that were feeling the same grief. Thankfully my Mom has been here this entire time, which has offered me invaluable emotional support and help with the kids, especially since Brian is unable to be here. So last night I was able to leave the kids at home to attend this gathering with our friends, and I think that it offered a lot of us some comfort in knowing that a lot of others share the same fears and sadness. It is difficult to see so many people in such an immense amount of pain, especially these Coast Guard men and women who are normally more stoic and reserved with their emotions . . . but it is awe inspiring to see the way that everyone has come together and their willingness to share their pain with friends and complete strangers.

Thank you all so much for the concern that you have shown during this time! Please continue to keep all these Coast Guard members, families, and friends in your thoughts and prayers . . . and please say a little prayer for Brian too. It looks as if services are going to be conducted for these men sometime at this end of this week, so please pray that Brian makes it home in time to attend these services so that he might be able to say goodbye with all his comrades by his side.