I categorically reject implications that accidently killing your son is part of a plan. The plan is to provide a means for salvation and comfort and a future together as a family. Arguments can be made that health issues that cause death may be part of the plan, but pure accidents I reject that notion. Our choices and the choices of others matter.

Safety really matters. I work in the construction field and safety is paramount. And it makes a real difference in the lives of people that work in environments where people are trained to be safe. My comment was meant as a way of communicating that safety while in a driveway is always a priority. My comment while focusing somewhat on the task of backing up wasn't necessarily a critique of the mother, but rather a safety reminder to the more typical cause of driveway accidents, which is backing up. That said, the principles I have taught are the same for pulling into a driveway. Never haphazardly race into a driveway. Scan the area for pedestrians and small children as you approach, pull in slowly paying attention to any unexpected resistance. Stop and roll back if the resistance changes and get out and see what is causing the resistance. Open windows if you are aware of children in the vicinity and better yet start communicating to make sure others outside are clear or can be your eyes or voice.

My point is to not find fault with the poor mother. My point is to use the incident as a moment to talk about safety for all the children in our lives as each and every one of us pulls in and out of a driveway. We all have raced into or out of a driveway in our life, we are all lucky to have never hit a child. My point is to not make it about luck, always approach entering a driveway as if a life depends on your safe approach. That is all that I'm saying. Remove some of the luck component.

BG