Sunday evening around 6:30 two local boys were almost home when one of them lost control of his car and smashed into 3 trees before it finally came to rest. The other boy was not wearing his seatbelt, was thrown from the car and died. Both of these boys were in Emily’s senior class. She knew them, the one that died more so.
This once again has made me reflect on the fragility of life. We open the door, give them the car keys and hope for the best. We expect them to come back to us, sometimes they just don’t. Apparently speed played a factor and the driver is being charged with vehicular homicide. He will be forever impacted and will have to live with whatever demons this will bring to him.
As with any tragedy in a small town the news flew like wildfire. An email from the principal was first out. Counselors were made available to anyone that felt the need for professional help dealing with this and will be available for as long as necessary. When Emily came home from school we talked about it. She knew before she went to school because Facebook was already lit up with the news. Technology affords many good and bad things but in this instance I think it has offered a place to grieve for this boy’s friends and family. The kids started a memorial Facebook site as a place to express their emotions. I’ve been reading some of the post and they are very heartfelt, some sad and many humorous as they recall shared time with the victim. I thought what a comfort it will bring to the family, of the love that was felt for their son, as they try to make sense of something that can’t be understood and as they try to live with something that is unlivable.
