I'm sure many of you have read the articles this week about the two newberry high school seniors who died early sunday morning as a result of a single car accident. they were both good friends of my daughter and both attended church with us. bright, wonderful boys with futures bigger than themselves.

this week has been so hard. we have struggled with so many emotions. she is devasted, i believe unexpected death is hardest on teenagers. they are already a boiling pot of emotion. she cries all the time. we have already experienced one vistiation and one funeral this week. tired does not begin to explain.

me, i am angry. i am angry that my friend had to bury her son. i am angry that his four brothers and one sister have lost their hero. i am angry period. but not at god. i believe in a soverign god and that all things work together for those that love him. i'm not really sure who i am angry with. i know that i'm angry with the boys for not listening. i'm angry that they were on the road at 3am. i'm angry with my daughter because on tuesday night, she asked if she could go out for a ride with a bunch of kids, just so they could be together. not no but hell no, you're not just going out riding....have them all come over here.

tonight and tomorrow will be even harder as we bury the closer of the two friends. i've lost loved ones, some tragically. but i have never witnessed so much pain in my life.

i know most of you have young children but one day they will be teenagers. never stop hugging them, never stop telling them you love them. never assume they know. always be the nosey mom who calls to check up on your kids. make sure you know when they lay their head down at night. i'm not saying that any of this would have changed sunday's events but at least you won't question yourself as much.

please keep these two families in your prayers as well as our student body as they move forward over the next two weeks towards graduation without their friends.

thanks
softball mom

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Suzy Richardson,

softball mom.... first I would like to give you a hug!

(((((((((((((softballmom & daughter))))))))))))

2nd, I am sorry for the loss of your church family and friends. I know this must be very hard not only for those two families, your church family and your family.

Often, we just don't always understand why God allow things to happen ...and usually generally he is trying to tell us something. At the moment, due to the anger, the grief, the sorrow we can't hear it. It may be a long way down the road before we figure it out.

Last November, my son and I nearly ran down a jogger. She was just suddenly there. I don't know how I got my van to stop because I was speeding to try to get into the next lane. And suddenly she was there. But somehow, I don't know how, my van was able to stop and was no more than 12" from her. She just looked at me like I was the one at fault but when she looked at the light and saw where she was, she chose to keep going and Jogged into another vehichile and was thrown 30-40 feet and .... well she died the next day.

I know that despite me and several others trying to help her before the EMT got there that it was not my fault, nor was it the man who accidently hit her. We don't understand why it happened. But I learned in the days after her death who she was and her life by her church friends and family. I still have flashbacks of the situation and part of me still lives with some kind of guilt.

But something good came out of that situation, even if we don't want to accept or understand why it happened. Come to find out she was an organ donor and many of her tissues and organs were donated and saved some lives. What was one family terrible loss, was another families answer to prayer to save a life. I know it sounds so "cruel" ...but God knew along what needed to be done that done. Maybe the word 'needed" is not the right word, but I think you know what I mean.

We don't understand what happen that morning and we will always ask Why...but all we need to do is wait for God to tell us. He will. We may not like his answer, we may not agree with it and we may not want to accept it.

We will keep you and your family in our prayers and we will keep your friends in our prayer and your church family.

Safe hugz!

I'm sorry so you guys are going through this. One of my best friends in high school killed herself by overdosing...she decided to call me AFTER she had taken all the pills but not tell me where she was. It was honestly the worst few hours....sadly, we found her too late...but I wondered for a long time if she actually meant to do it or if she was just desperate for attention and hoping we would find her sooner.
Tell your daughter for me that it may never go away but it does get easier...just feel whatever you need to at that moment and hang in there.

I am so sorry for you, your daughter and our entire community. I do have a young child so I have not had to experience this tragedy as a parent yet, but I did experience it as your daughter is now when I was a teenager. Several of my friends died in car accidents and one of my best friends committed suicide. It was in all honesty, with the exception of my father dying, the worst time in my life. I know the pain and despair that your daughter feels right now and my heart truley goes out 2 everyone touched by this tragedy. If you or your daughter need anything please don't hesitate to ask..... You have many thoughts and prayers with you.