March 26, 2013–July 31, 2025

This has been an especially sad summer in Texas, with the tragedy of the flash flood that swept a huge wall of water through a long-time special church camp for children, Camp Mystic, on the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country near Kerrville. At least twenty-seven lives were lost, most of whom were young girls. We have all grieved for their families. I know how maudlin this will sound, and you can’t see my tears as I am typing this, so I’ll go ahead and tell you I believe all those preschool and elementary school children have been waiting in heaven for Lucy, running up to welcome her with hugs and kisses, as she knew they would, so Sunday morning she stood up from her dog bed, said goodbye, and walked a few steps to where she lay down on the floor and ran to greet the children.