traci.

I have been thinking about my friend, Traci, so much lately.

I was watching tv the other night and ran across the show, "8 Simple Rules."

John Ritter was the dad on the show... married, with 3 teenagers.

During the middle of the season, John Ritter died suddenly and unexpectedly. Since they were right in the middle of taping a season, they had to write it into the show. The dad goes out one morning to buy milk... and never comes home.

I sat here, watching the wife and kids react to the news of his death... the funeral... trying to understand how... and why... and what their life is going to be like now. (I remember hearing that the actors didn't really have to act during these scenes. Their emotions were real.) I sat here watching... with tears streaming down my face. All I could think of was Traci.

Josh went with his dad to his uncle's ranch in Texas... and he never came home.

Traci is surviving. She's struggling each day with the realization that her best friend is really gone. He's not coming home. She is so excited to meet their twins... her precious girls who will only know their daddy through pictures and stories. They will forever be a piece of him that she can love and hold on to. She can't wait for their arrival. But she's struggling, too, wondering how she's going to raise them on her own.

Thank you to those of you who have been praying for her. I asked Traci's permission to post a picture of her and Josh here... so that those of you who don't know her can have a face to go along with your prayers. This is straight from her: "I actually really appreciate the shout out and all of the prayers that are coming because of it, so THANK YOU. I can truly feel them unlike I ever have before. In a time where God isn't my best friend (but still a close friend :) ) I get a tremendous comfort from knowing how many people are praying and helping me get back to that best friend status. I look forward to finding normal in an un-normal world..."

Praying for you, Traci.