Too close to home.

I can’t seem to get this out of my mind. I am not trying to bring anyone down I just feel that I need to talk about this today.
Sunday night around 9:45pm, aboard Carnival Fantasy, one of their passengers 18 year old Bruce O’Krepki fell overboard and has not been located yet. Bruce and 35 of his classmates, including his parents, boarded Carnival Fantasy out of New Orleans, for a 7 day cruise to celebrate their recent graduation from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Hammond, La. I did not know Bruce or the O’Krepki family but I did graduate from STA (granted it was 15 years ago). I know the school, I walked down the same halls he did, I sat in the same chairs, I prayed in the same chapel, I played basketball during P.E. in the same gym and I know the community. The community that surrounds STA is comprised of a close knit group of people. Parents participate, students enjoy their school (whether they admit it or not) and everyone knows everyone. (This definitely has its pros and cons) I grieve along side the family and friends of Bruce O’Krepki and hope for a miracle. I cannot even begin to comprehend what his fellow classmates are going through right now. How do you stay on a cruise to celebrate graduating and continue on to the Bahamas after this has happened to one of your friends? Simply put - You can’t.
I have so much more to say but cannot find the words………….
If you would like to read more about Bruce and the continued search go here or here.


Thanks for caring,
K