My oldest son’s dear friend and classmate, Olivia Ray, was killed on Saturday when she was hit by a SUV while crossing Razorback Road near the Razorback baseball stadium in Fayetteville.
Olivia is the daughter of Jane and John Ray, and the sister of Naomi, Hannah, and Hope Ray. Please keep the Ray family in your thoughts and prayers. To learn more about the Ray family, click here.
The memorial service is Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 4:30 in the Activity Center of Central United Methodist Church on Dickson Street in Fayetteville.
The Rays are a family of missionaries, so it should not surprise you that they will do good in honor of Olivia. To that end, a house is being built in Mexico in memory of Olivia. If you would like to donate towards this worthy cause, click here.
As a mother of only boys, I am often drawn to their female friends and classmates — and Olvia was one of my favorites. I love that she was girly, but not in a pink way. Rather, in a colorful, beaded, funky, adorable way. She will be greatly missed.
My heart also goes out to the driver and passengers in the SUV. We have all been distracted while driving — maybe a child crying in the back seat or a cell phone ringing. But please, in Honor of Olivia, think before you turn around to grab the pacifier or answer the call or change the radio station. Life is short enough as it is.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for mentioning the driver. It is so easy to be angry and hurt by this tragedy. And I know that it can feel dishonorable to take focus away from such a wonderful child. But, I have been especially mindful of my driving this past week, but it shouldn’t take something like this to remember that vehicles can be dangerous. I can only imagine how I would feel if one of those times of distraction… it’s awful and incomprehensible. I love you, Rays, for your continued efforts to reach out and show love to the world in this dark time.
My heart aches for the parents and I have empathy for the driver. Since having children I have become so much more aware of my driving and children on and beside the streets. I beg everyone please, please, please learn from this tradgedy. It scares me every time I see a child with or without a parent and the assistance of a hand or stroller when they are along the streetside or crossing streets. We have had near misses on the street I live on and I can only ask everyone to please remember our children even if you are not a parent. Nobody wants to loose a child to a senseless accident and nobody would want to be the cause of a child’s death. I cannot express how I feel for this family.