STOP!

 One brief moment, one poor decision, and lives are altered forever.  It's as simple as that, but as difficult to fathom, until it truly strikes you.  Today, it struck me.  One unfortunate incident, and the lives of many families are affected. 
Two cars continue driving past a stopped bus with it's stop sign extended and it's flashing lights going.  The first car drives past unscathed, the second hits a young girl as she crosses the street with her sister, to get on the bus.  An entire bus of young children witness the accident, in addition to a nearby bus stop full of children.  The kids are accompanied by parents who hear the young girls' scream, or perhaps it was the scream of her mother or sister as they watch it happen.  In any event, the lives of countless people are affected by this one unfortunate and avoidable accident.  A brief lapse in attention and the driver is now the culprit of a horrific scene.  As we all watch in stunned silence, another gutter-all cry is heard.  Again, we are not sure if it's the child, her parent, or the driver of the car, but one thing is certain, that harrowing sound is resonating in the minds of all who heard it.  The pain is felt to the core of our beings and the agony of the situation lingers in the air. This is a horribly specific example of our need to stop and pay attention to what is in front of us.
There are times when slowing down isn't enough.  There are times, when we all need to STOP!