Too Young


10 comments
We've been out of school for 3 weeks.

And in 3 weeks, 3 of my former students (direct/indirect) have passed away.  2 fourteen year olds and one 21 year old.

The first was one of my 8th graders from this year.  He died in an accidental drowning while swimming with friends in a neighborhood pool.  One of his friends pulled him out of the pool.  I absolutely cannot imagine the horror his friend has felt since that moment.

The 2nd was just this past weekend.  I did not directly teach his student, but I remember him.  He was involved in a club fight downtown that carried out into the street.  He was shot and killed in the altercation.  He had been involved in some other things...felony charges...just breaks my heart that the route he chose seemed to lead to his death.

The 3rd was today.  Another of my 8th graders from this year.  I taught him all year, and he was one of my "success" stories.  He and I started out the year a little rocky....just learning how to work together.  He was one of my reluctant ones.  I couldn't keep him motivated.  UNTIL....I taught The Hunger Games.  He was hooked right away and was the first to finish the book - I think he devoured the entire series in a week's time.  Since then, I saw him take a 180.  He helped lead discussions, he was involved in class, he would participate.  He completed an awesome project when we read Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief....one that I worked with him on and so enjoyed watching him complete.  He was so proud of it.  He was involved in a skate boarding accident.  He was not wearing a helmet and sustained an injury to his head.

I have lost a total of 5 students in my 6 years of teaching.  It's never easy. It's the part of the job that I absolutely dread because I know it's only a matter of time before the news comes of a loss.  And every time, it's always a shock.  Always.

And after losing a child of my own, it hits me so hard.  My heart aches and breaks for these families because I know the pain they are experiencing.  I know the future they have ahead of them.  I know the grief and the pain.  And these kids are like my own in a way.  As a teacher, I make it a point to try to form relationships with my students - ones that make it clear to them I care.  That I'm there for them.  That they can talk to me if they feel like they have no one else to go to.  I love my students...even the most aggravating of them.  There is something unique and good in all of them, and I make it a point to see those characteristics.

I told one of my colleagues tonight...."These kids are just too young to be going through this."  They are.  I will never understand.

Please pray for these families.  I'm at a loss as to how to bring them comfort because no comfort or kindness can change any of this.  My heart breaks for the family and friends of these kids.

Too, too young.

10 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness that's so awful. I will pray for those 3 families and all who have said goodbye to their children. I hope they can find peace in Christ.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Losing a child of your own definitely changes the way we are affected when we hear of another child loss. Of course the boy who drowned hits especially close to home here, but death of a child, no matter how it comes is devastating. Praying for you as you await baby C's arrival.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Praying for the families of these young men and for you as well..

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for this post. My mom is best friends with the grandma of your student. I know this will bless her.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lindsay, thank you so much for this kind post. He was definitely one of the aggravating ones, wasn't he? I'm glad you got through to him, and he sure did enjoy The Hunger games!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Charlotte -he was a teenage boy. Aggravation is like breathing for them. :) I absolutely loved Andrew and looked forward to seeing him daily. He had such a wonderful spirit, and I loved how he thought outside the box. He would say things in class that got me thinking...very profound. I told one of the other teacher's last night, "I can't imagine a world without Andrew in it." It's just so hard to believe. Please know that you and your family are in so close in my thoughts and prayers. Andrew will never be forgotten - he touched so many lives and made so many friends. If there is anything at all I can do...just say the word.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Praying for their family. I cannot even fathom the pain.

    All the kids you work with must be so blessed.

    ReplyDelete
  8. How horrible and sad. Those poor families. Having them in my thoughts and prayers, and you too.
    In Christ, Kelley

    ReplyDelete
  9. This was a great post. I taught Andrew in kindergarten long ago! It has just broken my heart, even more so because i just saw he and Charlotte last Thursday for an event for my family.I couldn't believe how grown up Andrew was. This was a great story to share with others.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This was a great post. I taught Andrew in kindergarten long ago! It has just broken my heart, even more so because i just saw he and Charlotte last Thursday for an event for my family.I couldn't believe how grown up Andrew was. This was a great story to share with others.

    ReplyDelete