So Sad

So tonight on my ride home I drove toward my village center and noticed a police cruiser parked by the local funeral home.  Cars lined the streets and the blue flashing lights of the police car made the scene a bit surreal.  It struck me that whoever was being waked tonight must be someone important or well known in town.  I never imaged that the person being waked could possibly have any connection to me or my life.  Well after dinner I sat down and did a bit of digging online to find out who was being remembered tonight.  I was horrified to find out that a 24 year old young man who had been a 9 year old boy in my first class of third grade students passed away earlier this week and was being waked tonight.  I remember this young boy as being fun, smart, happy, sensitive and good.  His family was engaged and he was involved in a wide variety of activities.  He was one of those kids that you could look at in the third grade and figure he would be one of the popular kids in high school and that he would do something with his life.  I don't know if he turned out to be one of the popular kids.  I do know that he only stayed at our local high school for three years before he went out to a school in the western part of the state from which he graduated.  It seems that for this good kid somewhere along the road something went horribly wrong.  When I shared the information I found out with R, he already knew.  Someone he works with knows the family and sadly shared with R that the boy died of a drug overdose.  Shock, horror, sadness and fear all welled up inside me leaving me feeling nauseous upon learning of this boy's fate.  I can not, nor do I want to imagine what it would be like to lose my child.  Please send any light and positive energy you can to this family who have lost their precious 24 year old son.  After you send that light and energy look at your own family and hold them closer, hug them longer, be thankful for all that you have because life can be cruel and is certainly too short.

Peace!