Goodbye Francie

"Just be a nice warm person, that is enough." HH the Dalai Lama (and the quote at the top of Francie's Facebook page)

"...I am thinking that I am pretty lucky to be awake and to be thinking about such trivial things. How truly blessed am I to be thinking about being able to give back to my community, to get to stay home with my children, share time with my childrens' grandparents, and to have such wonderful friends that I care so much about...and to have my health and to be able to exercise. I am thinking how grateful I am!" - Francie, in her last blog entry

I only met Francie once. A friend knew that she and her family were moving to town and told them that we were about to move and rent out our house. A few days later, she and her family showed up at our doorstep. I liked her immediately. She had a warm smile and a sharp sense of humor. She laughed easily. As soon as they stepped in the door, her two boys, Chandler and Gavin, took off to play with Evie and Lucy. She held her daughter, Fiona, in her arms and we soon had moved on from talk about the house (they loved it and could "just picture living here") to talk about raising three children, organic foods and schools. Her husband was quieter than she was, but still friendly. He and Toby talked about public transit, his job and one of Toby's passions. I remember that she joked that she'd just married him because he was so handsome and he laughed. When they left, Toby and I lamented that a nice couple was moving to town right as we were leaving.

They decided to rent the house, but a few days later it fell through when we insisted on a credit check. We rented our house to another family, they moved to Middletown, and I assumed I wouldn't hear from them again. I was surprised when Francie friended me on Facebook, since I had just met her, but soon we were writing on each others walls and commenting on each others' statuses regularly. She was always quick to comment whenever I wrote about snuggling with Noni in bed, trying to get all the kids out of the house in the morning, or any thing else that a mom of three can understand.

Yesterday, Francie and her three children were murdered. Her husband stabbed them and then shot himself in the head. The story is already making its rounds on the news circuits, but I am thankful at least that I heard it from a friend instead. There are no words of course. I am shocked, saddened and still shaking at the thought. I am haunted when I think of how just last weekend I commented to a friend that Francie sometimes shares "too much information" on Facebook about arguments with her husband. Little did I know that she wasn't sharing enough.

Francie, I didn't know you very well but our prayers are with you and your beautiful, beautiful children. It breaks my heart, it really does. I am thankful that I knew you, even if it was brief. God bless you and your family. God bless all of us for living in a world where such a tragedy could occur.