Life Lessons

My children learned a life lesson today that as a mother you hope they never have to learn. They are experiencing the pain you feel when you lose a dear friend. One of their good friends from JROTC was found dead this morning from what appears to be an overdose. They have never experienced the loss of someone close to them, aside from my mother in 1996, and they, for the most part, were too young to remember her. They do not understand how someone could seem so happy on the outside, and possibly be in great pain on the inside. Brandon was set to go to Wake Forest University on a full scholarship in the Fall. There is uncertainty at this point whether it was an intentional overdose, or an accidental one, but either way, the loss of a dear friend is heartbreaking for them. It is so painful to watch them go through. As a mother, it is our job to take the pain away, and make it all better, but I can't fix it for them this time. They have to go through this experience, grieve like they have never grieved before, and hopefully learn from this sadness that life is fragile, and can be gone in a moment. Please say a prayer for Brandon's family, who is going through something I cannot even imagine, and his friends, who will miss him dearly. Rest in Peace Brandon.