A Hard 3

At least I did it, right? Ugh. I did 3 miles over lunch and until about the last half mile or so, was really fighting each and every bit of it. I am pretty sure that I was finally settling into it at the end, but I needed to get back to work. I have no illusions whatsoever. This half is going to HURT, but I can't wait for all the fun that I am going to have! I cannot believe I am leaving in 3 1/2 days!!! I can't remember the last vacation I had without kids, let alone the last vacation I had that wasn't centered around mourning and grief. I am beyond ready for this :)

There was an area high school student that died this weekend. He was a senior and died in a car accident on his way to his grandma's house to wash her car for Sunday church. His grandma is one of my grandma's best friends and although I didn't know him, I know his family and my brother and cousins new him. From what I can gather, he sounds a lot like my brother and my cousin, Travis. Great kids that are always there to help other people. Honestly, the only other seniors or early 20-something kids that I know who would give up a Saturday afternoon to wash their grandmother's car is my brother and cousin. When they get bored, they go hang out with Grandma. Especially since Grandpa died. They are amazing, as it sounds like this boy was.

There have been quite a few articles in the local paper about him since the accident and as I was reading some of them online today, I noticed that some of the comments weren't very "helpful", we'll say. There were comments from people saying that they are sure he was great, but wondering why so much attention was dedicated to the loss. There were others demanding to know "what happened" and blindly throwing blame on the teen (speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, etc.) and on his parents (perhaps they had him driving a car that was untrustworthy ???). While I have been told by my brother (who knew both the teen and the family) that he was speeding and lost control, does it change anything knowing that? Does it make it an easier loss to bear because he was "responsible" for what happened? Life is such a precious thing and grief is so incredibly hard to bear, especially fresh grief. Do his parents really need to be subjected to reading those types of comments attached to wonderful articles of their son? Do his friends need to be put through that?

I just don't understand who it helps to make those types of comments. I understand it is your "right" to comment in whatever way you desire, but start a blog, bitch to your family and friends, harp on your own children to make wise choices by using this as an example, but PLEASE let this family (and every family that is forced to go through this kind of pain) grieve in peace. Believe me, every thought you could think, they already have. Every question on their parenting that you could come up with, has already crossed their minds a dozen times. They don't need your help feeling like their world is falling apart. Because right now? It is.

Sorry for the rant, but I just really wish that more people would realize that sometimes it takes a bigger person to just close their mouth and keep walking.