Tonight we'll do cake & ice cream (God help me, I'm going to try to have 2 bites of each and that's it) with our families. He's still too little to understand it's his birthday, but we'll have fun celebrating anyway.
He was born on the day our city had the worst tornado in its history. 25 people died the day Luke was born. 2 years is long enough time for people to rebuild their homes and their lives. Mostly, the areas that were hit are healed, except for the missing trees.
One woman lost her 2 year old son in the tornado. Kathryn Martin took her grief and turned it outward, helping to create CJ's Bus, a mobile recreation bus that goes to areas of disaster and provides a place for kids to play while parents clean up whatever mess is left behind. Recently a tornado went through Owensboro, Kentucky, and CJ's Bus was there for the kids and families.
There was also a bill in congress introduced in June, called CJ's Home Protection Act of 2007, which will require new mobile homes to have weather radios installed. The majority of deaths, including CJ's, occurred in a mobile home park about 3 miles from our house. Those folks had no warning--the tornado hit in the middle of the night.
We were lucky--we were not in the tornado's path. I was induced with Luke, and Mark & Sophie were with me in the hospital that night, probably the safest place we could have been.
Luke's birthday will always be bitter sweet, and as he gets older the news of his birthday's tornado will not be as prominent. I will never ever forget, though, how blessed we are to have this wonderful boy in our lives. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUKE!
7 comments:
Happy Birthday Luke!!! 2 years old is the best age... that is when their true selves start to emerge!
My Bailey is 2 years old.. she sends him a big "Abby Burrsay!"
I love that people can turn a negative experience into an amazing experience for others. CJ's Bus is probably much loved by many victims! Its a sad thing that a child had to die, but what is being done in remembrance of him is a blessing. Good things always come out of terrible things.. you just have to look a little harder to see them.
Have a wonderful day with your baby! We'll be celebrating with you (just without the cake and ice cream!) LOL
Happy Birthday Luke! I hope you guys have a great day together!
Happy Birthday to your terrific two year old!!
Laura, CJ's bus is such a nice memorial to a little boy whose life ended so tragically. Hopefully the new law will makes sure other little "CJ's" aren't hurt or killed in Tornadoes. I got tears in my eyes reading the story.
When I am offered birthday cake and ice cream, I take both, because I do not like those two combined - go figure.
Someone told me Marble Slab has an ice cream flavor called 'Birthday cake'. I just about barfed.
happy birthday to Luke.
I hope you'll let him shove his hands into the cake...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUKE!!!! Awwhhhh what a sweetie!! I hope he has a fabulous day!! And you too Mom!!
What an adorable picture of Luke!
He's a sweetie!
That's a very bittersweet memory to have of Luke's birthday but it's amazing that CJ's mom could take such an experience and try to find some positive things out of it.
I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed birthday with the "baby" (who is not a baby anymore!).
What a sweet little guy!! I love that age.
That is an amazing story. I just cannot imagine what it is like to lose a child and then try to go on.
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