I found out yesterday morning that three friends of mine in Texas - not Jam Sessioners, but very close friends of many of the Jammers - were in a terrible head-on collision a few days ago. The oldest girl had both ankles so badly broken that they had to be set by surgery, but couldn't even be given morphine because the surgery was the next morning; so she passed one night in agony, poor creature. Her brother, a quiet, brilliant young musician, had his knees badly bruised and a slight concussion and could remember nothing of the morning before the accident. (My father, a psychiatrist and neurologist, tells me this is normal and that the memory will probably return pretty soon, though, so no worries there.) Their little sister, a child of ten, was hit worst - ruptured spleen and small intestine, damaged livers, punctured colon, and a broken collarbone. The poor little one could eat or drink nothing for three days, because the doctors didn't know whether surgery was even possible. From the account of the friend that gave me the news, she suffered heroically. Let me give it to you in his own words.

It is a pitiful, heart-moving sight to see her lie there in her hospital bed, very quiet, except the occasional "my stomach hurts", or " I wish I could drink." She's only 10 years old, very innocent little girl; I can't help but think, why her...

God works in strange ways to show us how small we are. My reaction, after the shock of horror, was a feeling of selfishness. My best friend left for India early yesterday morning - we said our farewells the night before - and though I couldn't cry then, I was thinking I'd be really miserable that day. And then, having woken up early and been hit by this news, I thought, "and I thought I had it hard? Wow, I'm selfish." I had to echo my friend's wondering, "Why this innocent child -- why not me?"

Some relief came instantly, as in an email sent an hour later the same friend told me that Maryanna, the older girl, is in much less pain; Carl, her brother, is also much better; and little Marycatherine is at least stable, if far from well.

Please pray that they all recover, and, as always, that God's Will be done.