Inspirational Sunday - Sudden Loss of a Friend

Yesterday, my son lost one of his friends. B was just 32. He was just beginning his life with a new girlfriend who he introduced a mere 2 weeks ago at another friend's wedding. It was during that wedding that he tore his Achilles Tendon and underwent surgical repair. He has been at home recuperating. He called his parents and stated that he didn't feel good. His father was to his house within 30 minutes but B was already gone. Autopsy is still out. Cause undermined. But this does not help my son or his friends. B didn't drink or party. He was a responsible young man who found his niche in life as a concrete construction worker. He loved his job. He purchased a house a year ago and had just started dating a really nice girl that he was really crazy about.

My son is asking why this happened. As a mother you want to help your children but in this case, there are no answers. This is life. Sometimes it makes sense. And sometimes it just doesn't. All we can do is have faith in God that this is His plan. All anyone can do is just be there. My son and his friends are forced into something that shattered their sense of order and thrust them into a world forever changed. They feel vulnerable and might even feel anxiety. Their safe world no longer exists.

All of B's friends have gathered around his parents. They know this is especially hard on them because B lost his sister when she was 18 to a drunk driver. B was the only child left. Now his parents have no one. As a parent, we do not ever expect to bury our children. It is the wrong order of things. The boys though have gathered B's parents into their arms and are helping them make sense of it all. One of the boys is a lawyer and was able to obtain an independent autopsy. The boys have been over at his parent's house daily, taking shifts, and assisting his parents in making memory posters. Since sports was a large part of B's life, everyone is encouraged to wear a sports jersey to the wake. The entire group of his friends will be in some way involved as pallbearers or doing readings.

While this is a very sad day for our son and us, I am so proud of him and the group of boys my son calls his friends.