Mar. 20, 2002 ~ The saddest day
This morning Susan came over bright and early for our walk, and off we went, umbrellas bobbing in the rain. We talked a bit about the upcoming funeral, and she was so sad to hear of the loss of a child. She finally asked me the boy's name, and when I told her... her face just fell. She knew him, too. I forget, sometimes, about life in a small town. We are all connected, one way or another. So she was going to try to make it to the service this morning, though I didn't see her there. That means little, though, when you consider that the sanctuary was full, as were the balcony and the lobby. This particular church has closed-circuit TV for especially busy days, and sadly, this was one. I suspect that there were people in the next building, watching the events on TV.
I felt hands grip my shoulders from behind, and looked up to see a friend sit down behind me. He and I sat side by side at a lunch meeting yesterday, and neither of us said a word about this, not knowing that we both knew the family.
It was just about as sad as you could imagine, and then some. I didn't know the family well, but there is something so awful about the death of any child... it tears at the heartstrings of every parent. It's my worst nightmare.
I had never seen so many flowers or so many people. What was it about this fourteen-year-old boy, that so many people came to pay their last respects? The family had only lived here for four years... so where did all these people come from? They came from everywhere. Neighboring states. Far away. Close. His coworkers, and former coworkers. Her friends and family. Their church family. The boy's friends and fellow students. It just so happened that this is Spring Break in our area, so lots of the kids were there.
I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. The preacher talked of the accident that claimed the boy's life, the foolish choices he'd made that day, how he hoped that other young people would learn from his mistakes. I wondered how his parents felt, hearing that.
This is difficult to write. I'm trying to be mindful of the family's privacy, not saying too much... but there's so much I want to say.
Well.
Hug your kids tonight. Hold them close and tell them that you love them. Never miss an opportunity to tell them how proud they make you feel.
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