The bulletin that I posted has taken this small Pennyslvania community by shock and knocked us to our knees. The implications of this crime both baffle and sadden everyone.
An attractive 19 year old parties for 24 hours at a local bonfire. She arrives home to babysit. The mother of one of the toddlers; a woman blessed two years ago with a 20 month old daughter she has gone to fertility clinics to conceive, is a friend of the babysitter's 18 month old 1/2 sister who arrives to find the babysitter asleep on the couch with her crying sister in the crib.
The mother asks if she is capable of watching the two children and lets her sleep another 1/2 hour and plays with the children. She wakes the young woman and offers to not leave the children with her. The girl reassures her that she can indeed watch the children. The mother cautions her to please lock the garage door when she leaves after closing them. A pond lies 150 feet from the doors.
The babysitter lays the toddlers down to nap and falls asleep again. Her text message prior to laying down on the couch after coming home had been, "I'm done drinking.. I'm rocked."
She awakes to find the children missing, and follows a trail of toys, the last ones these girls will every handle and sees them face down in the pond. She attempts to do CPR. It is too late.
If she had it to do over again, the young woman would not be facing two accounts of manslaughter and felony charges of negligence.
If she had it to do over again, the mother would have taken both children home and called off of work. Her arms would not be empty, and the young woman would have faced her underage escapade without the stain of two deaths to haunt her life until her dying day.
If they had it to do over again, the people at the bonfire would not have served this young woman alchohol. The fault piles up and who is really to blame? All must share the responsibility, and carry this pain.
The price is far too high. The choices screamed to be made, but were not.
What can be said in the face of all of this suffering and loss but for "God, have mercy on us"?
