Random thoughts haunt me at 2:30 am following the death of our young friend.
How can his parents even keep breathing?
What will this horrific dose of reality do to the hundreds of other teens whose life he touched?
How will his brother learn to live the rest of his life without his younger sibling?
How long will it be until his father’s million-dollar smile and enormous personality return?
How can the world go on when a boy who was so loved and so important to us is no longer in it?
How does a mom go on when her adored and treasured baby is lost to her?
“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled because they are no more.”
Mom Goes On 
Parents and siblings learn to “go on” because they have to – one breath, one minute, one hour, one day at a time. It is a long journey, so be very kind and patient. Please don’t expect the parents or sibling to return to the people who they once were before the death of their child. It’s an unrealistic expectation. Although we have walked this walk, sometimes I, too, don’t know how a parent survives the death of a child. There are some good resources out there, if one wants to find them, giving suggestions on how to support a bereaved parent.
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Thank you for reading, and for your thoughts.
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