It could have been "us"

Today, a writer for Newsweek answers the question I've been mulling for the past week. Why do we care so much about the Natasha Richardson story? Today in a meeting, one of my colleagues said, "It could have been me." Just three weeks ago, this father was skiing bunny runs, yet his wife insisted he wear a helmet (even though he admitted it felt a little geeky).

Here are excerpts from "When a Young Mother Dies" by Susanna Schrobsdorff, writing the Society column for Newsweek:
"Her passing from something as capricious and random as a minor fall on the gentlest of ski slopes was so jarring that we couldn't stop talking about the how and the why. It could have been any of us. And when we learned that she waved away an initial offer of medical care after her fall, we understood. I'm sure that if one of Richardson's children had bumped his head she would gone to an emergency room immediately, and stayed for as long as it took to be absolutely sure that the boy was fine. But how many parents, if we'd taken a small tumble, would have looked at the day's plans and said, "No, I don't want to ruin everyone's vacation only to spend hours at the hospital over a minor bump. We don't have time. I'll be fine."
Source: Susanna Schrobsdorff | Newsweek Web Exclusive Mar 24, 2009