Let Me Tell You About Todd

Last night felt a bit off. I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was, but I just didn't feel comfortable. It started when I put Abby to bed. As always I asked if she would like to say some special prayers and she replied with her Dad and I, her sister, some friends or ours and then she added Jake and Connor. They are the two little boys from across the street. Now Abby hasn't really played with Jake and Connor. Only because they're across the street and she's not quite old enough to be making that trek on her own. We have started talking about the boys in the house to get Abby used to the idea of school. She and Connor will be in the same class next year. Last night was the first time their names had come up in prayers and I thought it was odd/cute at the time. Odd/cute enough that I mentioned it to Mike. Neither of us could imagine how moving that little prayer would be by morning.

What would you do if you found someone in your driveway attempting to break into your car? Last night our neighbour, Todd, returned home late. He went in the house to talk to his wife and shortly after that made a trip back out to his truck. There he encountered a young man attempting to break in to his wife's vehicle. In the past few weeks our sleepy little village has endured a rash of criminal activity. Just two weeks ago Mike's cell phone was stolen from the van in our driveway. Other neighbours have reported similar incidents. So when Todd came across this young man late last night he did what he felt was right and gave chase first by foot and then by bike. I can only imagine he was disappointed when he came home empty handed. Not long after Todd got home he died suddenly of a massive heart attack. He was 41. He leaves behind a wife and his sons, Jake and Connor.

I'm not going to tell you that I knew Todd all that well. I couldn't even tell you for sure how many years they've lived across the street from us. Even still there are a few things I can tell you with absolute certainty. Todd was a man who loved his family. Ever since his boys were small Todd was a regular figure walking with them around the village. Watching from afar it was easy to see how engaged and involved he was with his boys. He had a huge love for them and it showed. Since his wife started a new job this year it was Todd you would see every morning walking his son to the bus stop. I often heard from the other parents in the neighourhood about how involved Todd was with the pre-school the boys attended. No question, he was a hands on dad.

Todd had a smile that never seemed to fade. It was an infectious smile. One you couldn't help but return no matter how your day was going. Whenever our paths would cross I always felt like he was happy to see me. Happy to stop and chat for a minute. Ask about Mike. We never had a conversation in which he didn't tell me how cute Abby was. Or how much Maya had grown. Or just simply what wonderful girls I had. A couple of weeks ago Mike and I ran into Todd. We were out walking with the girls and he with his boys. They were headed to the treefort Todd had built for them. Abby was instantly invited along and given the grand tour. "Abby", he told her, "you feel free to use the treefort whenever you like." Now our daily walks always include a stop at the treefort and Abby loves being a part of the secret.

Today my heart breaks for Todd's wife and his boys. I know how this feels when your family suddenly becomes one member smaller. How the lives around you keep going and you feel yours has stopped. That the enormity of what just happened is more than you can take in. The utter disbelief. The anger. The grief.

Mike and I felt we needed to do something. Thanks to a borrowed oven I will be making up some food for Todd's family. Then we learned that Todd had no insurance and I knew we had to do more. I had been thinking of adding a donation button to the site for about a week to collect money for charity. Today it became clear that the donations needed to go to Todd's family. To any and all family/friends if you'd like to help out you can get in touch with me directly. I ask that you please remember Todd's family in your prayers.