Six Feet Deep?

This weekend turned out to be so shocking in many ways here in Broward Florida.  Two teens where killed by another peer by a shooting and a stabbing.  One a female and one a male.  The male, a 17 year old, attends my sons school.  His younger brother actually plays with my son often in hockey.  The energy in the last two days at the school have been uneasy.  You can sense a sadness or uneasiness around the campus.  The school has taken extra steps to provide security for the kids from the media, as well as provide support groups and counsel. They have allowed for kids to attend the funeral today, with permission from their parents.  

I personally didn't know the teen, but I also feel a sense of sadness.  As I talk with my son about it on the way to school.  Its sad that his friend he plays hockey with lost his big brother forever.  Its sad that these parents have lost their son forever.  Its sad that these kids have lost a friend forever. And for some it will be their first time to experience a loss of this kind in their lives.  It will be very painful and confusing to them.

My heart aches that these two families have lost a child.  I also hurt for the two families who still have their children who are responsible for the killings (one female and one male).  No matter the outcome or the punishment, these are still kids who made big mistakes and their lives will forever be different from this situation.  I hurt for all of them.  It also adds more fear in me as a parent for my own children.  To think that all because of a disagreement or hurt feelings that someone that may or may not be a friend of theirs, could take such actions to end their lives.  

If you haven't read yet the 7x7 prayers on this blog, please do so.  We always talk about praying for this or praying for that.....but WE as parents need to always remember to not let a day go by that we don't pray for the protection and safety of our children.  Don't take them for granted.  We need to listen to our children, talk to our children and teach our children the right way and the wrong ways to handle themselves in any situation, no matter how they feel (angry, hurt, embarrassed etc).  They need to realize the seriousness and the frailness of life to never want to end their own or an other's. Please don't take the easy way out because you don't want to deal with the emotions or question to not talk to your children.  By avoiding the emotions you don't want to deal with, you in return could most likely be hurting your own child even more. If they can't hear it from or talk to you, their parents, their safety nets... they will only rely on themselves and or their peers influences.  Don't let your child be a victim on the living end or the lost end in their lives, all because you didn't want to get into a deep and serious conversation with them to avoid having to deal with your own emotions.  Be real and honest with your kids.  They know when you are being anything but!!! 

So I ask that you keep these families and kids in your prayers.  As a lot of them attend their first funeral today here in Sunny Florida, it will be a very dark day and time in many of their lives for days, weeks and months to come.  Please talk with your kids and share these stories, help them to open up and talk and work things out in positive ways.

I hope everyone is having a blessed week so far.

God Bless your families!!!