Author Topic: Womans dream becomes nightmare (Read 3630 times)

Matthew · « **on:** May 16, 2013, 05:10:13 PM »

(CNN) -- It was supposed to be a dream trip: Two children and their parents on a yearlong family road trip around Australia.
But the dream turned to tragedy Wednesday when the parents apparently got into trouble while swimming off a remote beach in Western Australia, while their children, ages 10 and 12, were on shore.
The children watched as other beachgoers desperately tried to resuscitate their mother after her body drifted ashore, CNN's Australian affiliate ABC News reported.
The children had spotted their mother floating face-down in the water, ABC News said. Their father was also briefly seen floating face-down before disappearing under water, the broadcaster said.

Kathreen Ricketson, 41, is believed to have drowned, Western Australia police said.
The search continued Thursday for her husband, 48-year-old Robert Shugg, but there is little hope of finding him alive.
"His body hasn't been recovered," 1st Class Constable Richard Du Cloux of Exmouth police told CNN. "The search is still going on and will continue until all avenues have been exhausted."
The children have been reunited with family members, Du Cloux said.
The family was camping by Ningaloo Reef, a remote but beautiful spot about 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Coral Bay, when disaster struck.
Ricketson, who described herself online as "mother.maker.wife.artist.writer.traveller. Adventuring with my family on year-long road trip around Australia," had been blogging about their trip.
Her last entry, posted Monday, reads: "We are bush camping at a station on Ningaloo reef, Western Australia. A dream come true -- is that totally corn ball?"
They had met another family there, Ricketson's blog said, and the children were enjoying playing together.
A photo of a beach at sunset posted to Instagram by Ricketson on Sunday was captioned: "Ningaloo beach for Robbie's birthday. Sweet."
"It's an extremely remote, rugged area," said Du Cloux. "People go camping there, (but) you've got to be fully self-sufficient, there's no amenities at all."
The alarm was raised by a fellow camper, who set off an emergency positioning beacon, Du Cloux said. The nearest police station, in Exmouth, is about 2½ hours away.
Efforts to find the body of the children's missing father are being led by the police and Department of Environment and Conservation officials, he said. An aerial search will resume at daylight Friday.
This kind of incident is thankfully unusual in the area, Du Cloux said.
The family set off on their road trip -- described by Ricketson as a "12 month family sabbatical to reconnect as a family and slow down our life" -- in early January.
The parents planned to home-school the children on the road and continue their online work, according to her blog. Ricketson ran a crafts and lifestyle website, Whip Up, as well as a children's activities website, Action Pack Magazine.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the sudden death of Whip Up founder, Kathreen Ricketson. Her partner Rob Shugg is still missing at Coral Bay, Western Australia. Their two gorgeous, beloved children, to whom we send our love, are with relatives," a post by a contributor to the Whip Up site said Thursday.
"This was their adventure of a lifetime and it has come to an end in the worst imaginable way."

Matthew · « **Reply #1 on:** May 16, 2013, 05:11:47 PM »

NOTE: This post has been edited.

So she had only two children, so she could be a "traveller, artist, writer", etc.

What if she had embraced a more "domestic" or boring lifestyle?

Notice the original purpose of this trip -- to "reconnect as a family". That's a nice way of saying the family had serious issues and was more or less dysfunctional. She was trying to patch things up.

So many women today have to "live the dream" and be all those things she listed -- "mother, career woman, artist, writer, traveller, dream-follower, etc." they have to be almost larger than life.

Not what God desires for any married woman. He desires a simpler, humble life of prayer and sacrifice. Maybe the job description isn't so impressive, but it's impressive to God, and the recipe for saving one's soul for the majority of women.

Capt McQuigg · « **Reply #2 on:** May 16, 2013, 05:51:23 PM »

It's absolutely amazing the way women and men will decide to limit the number of children for material pleasures. Whether a woman has one child or nine her body will start to have aches and pains in her mid to late thirties. The cheap glitter of the world fades even in front of our very own eyes and yet, because of the way society is ordered, so many souls fall into that trap.

Frances · « **Reply #3 on:** May 16, 2013, 06:10:30 PM »

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." --Our Lord to the Pharisees.

Regardless of the faults of this couple, regardless of the condition or size of their family, this is a tragedy. Leave judgement up to God. He has no need of your support or self-righteous remarks. Instead, pray for their souls and for their orphaned children. I rarely post comments like this, but here it goes; SHAME ON YOU!

Sigismund · « **Reply #4 on:** May 16, 2013, 06:24:22 PM »

Indeed. God wants these children to be without a mother?

Napoli · « **Reply #5 on:** May 16, 2013, 08:13:25 PM »

God's ways are incomprehensible to us. Why do bad things happen? I only know we have to persevere. God have mercy on us.

Marlelar · « **Reply #6 on:** May 17, 2013, 07:48:12 PM »

So from a family tragedy, both parents dying in front of their kids, you only get that she should have had more kids and stayed home to insure her "safety"????

Marsha

Seraphia · « **Reply #7 on:** May 17, 2013, 09:47:55 PM »

Quote from: Frances

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." --Our Lord to the Pharisees.

Regardless of the faults of this couple, regardless of the condition or size of their family, this is a tragedy. Leave judgement up to God. He has no need of your support or self-righteous remarks. Instead, pray for their souls and for their orphaned children. I rarely post comments like this, but here it goes; SHAME ON YOU!

I completely agree. I am amazed at some of these comments. When I had my first child, my husband and I wanted to move, but we also wanted to see the United States. We saved up and took a three month driving tour often sleeping on the side of the road or in remote places to save money. We saw many amazing things and met some wonderful people.

I'm so glad we took that journey because as I was pregnant with my second child my husband (this was only two years later and we had just begun to try to open a computer repair store) had a heart attack and died. At least I have a wonderful time to look back on and never regretted our travels.

So what a shame I only have two children? Maybe staying where were (where we would have never started a business on our own) would have been better? Think it was God's punishment? Fools. We settled down in an area for the only reason that our truck broke down and we decided we liked the place. Plus it was near a major city yet still in a rural area. It was a good decision at the time and was full of potential.

Traveling connects family. I suspect that this poor family was closer than most. Would have been difficult for this family to get to Mass on Sundays but back in our traveling days we were N.O., and those are a dime a dozen.

Guess I'm not domesticated enough for your sort. I'm the head of my household -- have been for 13 years. I make the decisions for the entire family now, including my widowed mother. Bad things happen, but to say it happened because someone wasn't 'good' enough for your standards is beyond the pale.

Self-righteous is right. I'm ashamed at some of you.

ServusSpiritusSancti · « **Reply #8 on:** May 17, 2013, 10:10:53 PM »

I'm sorry to hear that about your husband, Seraphia.

Matthew · « **Reply #9 on:** May 17, 2013, 11:20:41 PM »

I stand by both my posts.

A woman shouldn't strive to be an "mother.maker.wife.artist.writer.traveller. Adventuring with my family on year-long road trip around Australia"

She should strive to be a good and holy Wife and Mother, which was obviously her vocation since she was married with 2 children.

And we have to remember that just because WE did something, doesn't make it the PERFECT WAY to be imitated. I went to public school, but I think that was a mistake (I'll admit, I'm damaged goods in that respect -- remember my post about admitting the truth, even when it doesn't flatter us?) so I'd never recommend it for others.

I won't get all offended when a good Catholic posts about the evils of public school.

"Hey, man! Be charitable. Don't judge me. You're talking about ME!"

It's not about this or that individual, it's about the correct way of life for a Catholic.

Of course it's a tragedy when someone dies, especially 2 people at once, and especially when 2 children are left orphans as a result. We should pray for their souls, and for the surviving children. I shouldn't have passed over that element like I did.

But, objectively speaking, the woman made a mistake trying to be a modern "superwoman" and trying to "have it all".

A person doesn't become a martyr or saint just because they died tragically.

Zeitun · « **Reply #10 on:** May 17, 2013, 11:25:16 PM »

Amen Matthew.

This story reminds me of women who travel to foreign countries on solitary vacations to "find themselves" but instead end up murdered. Like the woman in the OP, they claim to be "artisans" or "dreamers" or "adventurers" but then the truth comes out later. Some of these women were traveling to have affairs overseas with men they met online.

I know the OP was a family but the selfishness and worldliness is the same. When worldly women reach a certain age they seem to lapse into this "It's my time" mentality. With sometimes tragic results.

Capt McQuigg · « **Reply #11 on:** May 17, 2013, 11:31:16 PM »

Quote from: Sigismund

Indeed. God wants these children to be without a mother?

Sig, I didn't say that but it is a grave sin to needlessly put yourself in danger.

This woman died just like she lived - meaninglessly.

----------> For her soul!

Capt McQuigg · « **Reply #12 on:** May 17, 2013, 11:32:40 PM »

Quote from: Marlelar

So from a family tragedy, both parents dying in front of their kids, you only get that she should have had more kids and stayed home to insure her "safety"????

Marsha

To put it succinctly - yes.

Matthew · « **Reply #13 on:** May 18, 2013, 12:31:16 AM »

To Ora Pro Me --

YOU stepped over the line in calling me out publicly.

You are banned, at least for a while, until you can "get over" this post.

Matthew · « **Reply #14 on:** May 18, 2013, 12:33:48 AM »

Seraphia somehow "connected" with the lady in the OP, because the OP had 2 children, they took time for travel, and a tragic death was involved.

After that, it was all pure emotion.

Seraphia really doesn't REALLY have a whole lot in common with the OP (NOTE: The OP had children with her "partner" -- they weren't married)

Excessive emotion is the bane of forums. It's really hard to have rational discussion with people who can't separate emotion and reason.