Sunday, March 22, 2009

Griffon

The big brother of T's classmate died last night and I can't get it off my mind. We all knew he was sick, but the last we'd heard he was out of the woods and getting better. In just one short month, he'd gone from a vibrant, healthy eighth-grader to someone fighting for his life. I can't even begin to imagine what his family is going through.

Griffon went to middle school with J, and a bunch of the kids are getting together to wear green tomorrow because it was his favorite color. This is the first time that death has really hit so close to home in a way that the kids can grasp and I really don't know what to say to them. J started worrying that he was going to die soon too, and of course I promised he wouldn't but we both knew it was a lie. There are no guarantees, and this instance proves just how vulnerable we all are. Griffon's parents did everything right - they made sure he wore a seatbelt when in the car and a helmet on his bike. He ate well and was a happy, normal kid until a routine illness took this beautiful boy away from them.

I can't even begin to imagine.

3 comments:

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

Im so sorry you are trying to explain this to kids. Our dog died several months ago (not that it is the same thing) and my 5 year old asked us for days if we were going to die to. It was heart breaking.

CJ Omololu said...

It's hard because this is the first time that they realize that THEY might die. A parent should never have to bury their child. Never.

Candace said...

It really hits home, when people you know pass away, how we really aren't immortal and how fragile life is. Like you said- there is no guarantee. My condolences for the family and all affected.