Hey y'all,

I'm turning to you for advice because apparently whatever I knew about making new - and true - friends does not apply in my life right now.

I have been a stay-at-home mom for the past five years (with a  6 month break in between).  I had lost two close friendships from my life-before-offspring... and though I mourned those losses, in retrospect I know it was for the best.  And, heart filled with confidence and hope, I set out to make new friends in the circle of moms I had met when I had my first. 

I expect thousands of people will be watching television later this evening as rescue teams in Chile begin carefully bringing the 33 trapped miners to the surface.  I know I will be.

The capsule ride to the surface will take approximately 20 minutes, round-trip an hour, so it will be at least 33 hours until all the men have been lifted to the surface.  I can't imagine being the last one - alone and anxious.

Their lives are about to change dramatically.  

It is with a profound sense of sadness that Shepell.fgi shares with us the news of the passing of Gerry Smith, Vice President of Organizational Health.  As many of you know Gerry had been battling cancer over the past many months.