hero indeed!

That's so cool!! They actually went to a town near where my man grew up. That was good of that lady to someting like this for those children.

Kudos to them! That is pretty neat.

Well done. Good use of tag.

I read that as "Mom whose son was killed by tomato"

Hero? Maybe if he had *saved* his son...aww, fark. I can't do it. Good on him, it's sad that sometimes it takes a tragedy for people to bring others a little happiness, but good for him for doing it.

That's really nice.

TehLydzz: I read that as "Mom whose son was killed by tomato"

LowbrowDeluxe: Hero? Maybe if he had *saved* his son...aww, fark. I can't do it. Good on him, it's sad that sometimes it takes a tragedy for people to bring others a little happiness, but good for him for doing it.

She. For some reason I read that as 'Man whose son...'. Feh.

/DNRTA
//Failure is not an option. It's a way of life.

Great use of the Hero tag. Way to take tragedy and turn it into a positive.

Does it come with a Pedo Bear Certified scum bag?

"I will agree to handle the case of any kid who falls or is molested on the playground, since I won't be president," said John Edwards.

Wabash: Way to take tragedy and turn it into a positive.

That's why I was going to vote for Rudy.

That's awful nice of her. That's my hometown; those three people were killed two miles down the road from where I grew up. I've been to that trailer park; kind of humbling actually. I haven't been by there since the tornadoes, but my mother and sister have commented on how much destruction there is in that part of the county. It's fortunate that no more died than three.

That's really cool, but it sounded more like a daycare center in there than a playground...
I'm just sayin'....

TehLydzz: I read that as "Mom whose son was killed by tomato"

FAIL. It was "torladoes".

/i keed.

attack of the killer torladoes?

My mother and I were in a tornado once. We were in a mobile home, and I think God must really hate mobile homes, Andy, cuz tornadoes always attack them first. They get very mobile.

That was VERY giving and kind of her, but the first thing that came to mind was Herbert wishing he thought of that first.

/He already tried to get an ice cream truck
//duh-duh-DA-DAH-DA-duh-duh

That is one of the most humbling stories. A lady that lost her son in a disaster, who could have lived a bitter life, has done something like this. You know that every time she is called upon, she has to relive this. She truly is a hero. I know that if my own son had died like this, I wouldn't have the ability to put myself out there.

Uncle Harry: A lady that lost her son in a disaster, who could have lived a bitter life, has done something like this.

You said it. The worst tragedies sometimes bring out the very best in people.

Maybe it's just me, but the color scheme and the little door on that truck, makes it look like she's loading those kids into a piece of construction equipment.

Hiymenator

That was VERY giving and kind of her, but the first thing that came to mind was Herbert wishing he thought of that first.

/He already tried to get an ice cream truck
//duh-duh-DA-DAH-DA-duh-duh

Get outta my head, Charles!

Uncle Harry: That is one of the most humbling stories. A lady that lost her son in a disaster, who could have lived a bitter life, has done something like this. You know that every time she is called upon, she has to relive this. She truly is a hero. I know that if my own son had died like this, I wouldn't have the ability to put myself out there.

Y'know, normally I would be fishing for the "snark angle" on this one, but I found that attempting to do so left me feeling almost sad. Indeed, kudos to her.

What an amazing person. This is such a great idea. I went through a tornado when I was about 5 or 6 and I remember being so confused because we had to go stay at another family's house. We were fortunate that our house wasnt destroyed...just lots of glass all over the place. Having something like this to go to would have really helped.

This is the web site for her organization, if anyone is interested in checking it out.

CJ's Bus (new window)

*shakes fist at kurfu*

GingerGirl

Thanks for the link. Anything that focuses on comforting a child in a time like this is truly noble.

Playground On Wheels... sounds like that belongs in a trailer park

OldeFarquer: *shakes fist at kurfu*

Get off my lawn.

Bravo, madam, Bravo.

This is a great idea. 10 years ago our house was destroyed in a tornado. I didn't make it to the bathroom with my 3 year old in my arms and the roof was torn off the house while we were in her bedroom! I know that the terror I feel whenever I just think of her being sucked up then is only 1/100th the actual pain if it had actually happened.

/Everything turned out OK.
//cuts, scratches, slashies. :p
///new house, woot

Amazing story, and an equally amazing woman. Check out their website, since they're looking for supplies for the bus.

http://www.cjsbus.org/ (pops)

So much class; she deserves a medal!

I know that the terror fun I feel whenever I just think of her being sucked up spinning through the air then is only 1/100th the actual pain hilarity if it had actually happened.

Kidding.

What a giving young woman. She has found a way to memorialize her lost child and cope with his tragic loss by helping other traumatized children obain a brief respite from the grim realities of their current situation. Many of these children may have lost everyting they own. They now have a place where, for a few hours, they can engage in the normal activities of childhood. The efforts of she, and her group of volunteers, is to be lauded not trivialized. Her "donated" bus is not fancy or luxurious. It's door may appear crude, but it is open to welcome all children who wish to enter. The inuendo that this rolling tribute is anyway pedophillic is obviously a misguided and adolescent attempt at humor. In the previous post, go to the link and consider donating money or materials to CJ's Bus.

at first i was like "wow that is an amazingly heart warming tale"

but then i got to thinking, how sad is it that that woman has to look at all those children that survived the tornado. Surely she is no longer a parent, yet owns a playground on wheels. I just think its sad that since the loss of her son 3 years ago she has lost her ability to cope with reality.

Funny, I was in that tornado. Almost came away with a pretty good head injury. Kinda skimmed over TFA but if the trailer park in question is the one I'm thinking of I was about half a mile away. I was up playing MGS3, heard the storm getting really bad outside. I got up to check it out and the second my feet hit the floor the lights went out and there was a huge *BAM*

I hit the deck and started crawling to the bathroom, until I felt wind coming from there. I ended up cowering in a coat closet until it was over. It was the most terrifying thing that had ever happened to me. A tree had fallen on our building, snapped in two and fell on my car.

Later that night I came across the foundation for a house, the house part was strewn about the neighborhood. Family of five inside. Everyone was okay except for the dad, who was bleeding badly. I saw an ambulance pulling into my street, knew there was nobody hurt there, ran to them and told them to go help the man.

I think they got the body count wrong, though. My friend alone lost 7 family members from that trailer park. He has no more uncles.

It's funny, we were out of power for a week, our apartment had holes in the roof, forcing us to move, and my car had it's back window and roof smashed in, (we still have it, runs great, window is now plexiglass and duct tape) but I still don't feel like a victim.

Epiphany: at first i was like "wow that is an amazingly heart warming tale"

but then i got to thinking, how sad is it that that woman has to look at all those children that survived the tornado. Surely she is no longer a parent, yet owns a playground on wheels. I just think its sad that since the loss of her son 3 years ago she has lost her ability to cope with reality.

She is still CJ's mother, no matter what. It is just that death prevented her to raise him to adulthood.

And consider this: through her grief, she is helping families and kids with facing their own realities.

Epiphany: but then i got to thinking, how sad is it that that woman has to look at all those children that survived the tornado. Surely she is no longer a parent

Well as a parent, I would say that action takes more guts and determination than anything you've ever done.

yeah sure because you know everything about me 40below. I just think it might be a little bit unhealthy is all. It's nice for those kids, but a little bit creepy to me.

i mean seriously. returning to the scene of probably the most horrific experience she's ever had. Because its not just the town she was in, its tornado's ripping through other towns that takes people back more.

that shiats a little crazy as is, but bringing a portable playground to all the children that lived, when her son didn't, is downright certifiable.

its great fun for the kids, but man she needs to let go.

Epiphany "she has lost her ability to cope with reality." I'm having some difficulty in understanding how you see this woman as not coping with reality. Please clarify your statement for me.

"its great fun for the kids, but man she needs to let go."

^^ How is it that farker's can always find something to be critical about?

/Quit your biatchin'
//salute to this woman
///my first slashies!

Epiphany: yeah sure because you know everything about me 40below. I just think it might be a little bit unhealthy is all

I know nothing about you and don't care.

Just saying, as a parent who nearly lost my first 24 hours after she was born - and we were that close, let me tell you, there's some stuff you now know about me now - to pour yourself into helping other people's kids strikes me as incredibly heroic, way more than if she'd never had kids or if they were now at Yale Law School on scholarship. Doubt I could do it in that situation.

I'm sure you have some more cynical stuff you can toss this way, so bring it. I can interpret the three reads on the screen of an infant heart monitor from 20 feet away. When you can do that, we can talk, tough guy.

Epiphany: i mean seriously. returning to the scene of probably the most horrific experience she's ever had. Because its not just the town she was in, its tornado's ripping through other towns that takes people back more.

that shiats a little crazy as is, but bringing a portable playground to all the children that lived, when her son didn't, is downright certifiable.

its great fun for the kids, but man she needs to let go.

People run charities & donate fortunes to cure diseases that killed their loved ones. I guess they need to let go, too, huh?

Epiphany: During the years I worked as an Oncology counselor, I learned that people morn loss in different ways. Often these attempts to overcome grief are misunderstood by outsiders. I think you are misguided in your belief that she is not coping adequately and needs to "let go." This bus is allowing her to memorialize her lost son while doing something for other children who find themselves in a catastropic situation. I suggest you go to the CJ's Bus website and enlarge your vision and, hopefully, your heart. It can be found at: http://www.cjsbus.org/story.html. (sorry, I don't know how to add a direct link.)

Epiphany: i mean seriously. returning to the scene of probably the most horrific experience she's ever had. Because its not just the town she was in, its tornado's ripping through other towns that takes people back more.

that shiats a little crazy as is, but bringing a portable playground to all the children that lived, when her son didn't, is downright certifiable.

its great fun for the kids, but man she needs to let go.

Given the choice between watching Grey's Anatomy and shopping and CostCo on the one hand, and helping kids who have been through a disaster on another, i'd say she made the more life-affirming choice.

I suspect you're just trolling, though, so how about you let the grownups discuss this one?

then she should donate to charities or buses for kids in tornados, she could start her own charity! or do what she's doing i don't care. i just said to me it seems a little bit creepy, being constantly reminded of others good fortunes in the exact same situation. either way it was just my 2 cents, i dont really need anyone to tell me otherwise.

and 40 below

"I'm sure you have some more cynical stuff you can toss this way, so bring it. I can interpret the three reads on the screen of an infant heart monitor from 20 feet away. When you can do that, we can talk, tough guy."

yeah, personally attacking someone in a fark comment just making an opinion, that makes you a real tough guy. the thing you can do with infant heart monitors isn't some sort of super power. i'm sure it is not that difficult to learn, i should probably ask a doctor.

sounds like you took what i said about that lady as an attack on you, and in which case maybe you need to let go as well.

and i'm not new here