Some days - OK, most days - the bad news comes in waves.
There was a time when I could shrug these things off.
It's not as easy as it used to be.
Maybe that's part of becoming a first-time grandfather.
Maybe it's more than that.
My day started seconds after I opened my eyes yesterday to news of a tragedy in Folcroft.
A group of kids apparently had been "pool-hopping" and managed to get into the Folcroft Swim Club.
What happened next is not exactly clear, aside from this.
The body of a 13-year-old was recovered from the pool. He apparently drowned.
He was 13.
Every time I deal with a story like this, I think back to when I was a kid, and some of the things I did.
I could tell you I never took part in any of this kind of youthful hijinks. I also would be lying.
I gave my parents all they could handle.
I guess I was lucky.
There is a family here in Delaware County that was not as lucky, and is now dealing with an almost unthinkable tragedy.
The second wave arrived shortly thereafter.
This one is more personal.
It's about faith - in this case mine.
This job is always more difficult when you wind up covering stories that involve people you know.
That's one of the reasons - despite being asked all the time - that I always refuse invitations to join any number of groups. I have spoken to any number of them, Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions.
I always tell them the same thing.
It is entirely likely that a day will come when we will be having another conversation - and not in the best of circumstances.
That's part of this job as well.
Let me just say that I am a member of St. Joseph's Parish in Downingtown.
Yes, that parish.
We are convulsing again in another wave of negative headlines.
I again would be lying if I said all this has not made me question my faith - and the people we entrust to guide us in that quest.
I am beginning to believe I'm not sure that I need the church - or men of the cloth - to have faith, or be religious, or have a spiritual relationship.
Or maybe I've just been doing this job too long, seeing the same kinds of stories again and again.
About the only thing I have faith in these days is that I will be dealing with more of these same, sad stories soon enough.
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