He was all boy…I can see him in my mind now as I take in the news of the accident. How he got to be so old I have no idea. It seems only yesterday he was in third grade playing kickball and excelling in math. But the gift of life is often taken from us at an early age,and sadly at seventeen he hardly had a chance to live.
“Johnny,” in truth, was a memorable child. Ask any teacher what that means and they will tell you he was not easy. And he wasn’t…only because he was so active and really wasn’t interested in subjects that didn’t come easy to him. I would tell him, “When you grow up you are going to be so thankful you learned this…you will use this someday.” Now those words seem meaningless. There will be no grown up period, no marriage, career, or child to test him as he did his parents. It saddens me because I never thought this would be how his life would turn out. I knew that he would mature and find his place in the world. He had loving parents and siblings that were supportive. How can they possibly survive this…what can anyone say to help them keep from suffocating from the pain of loss. I hope they can see what I do when I think of him…I see a smiling boy with a frog in his pocket, an athlete, a flirt, a smart ass…yes, he was…I see a boy that lived his life to the fullest because he knew no other way. And when his friends join me to celebrate his life there will be stories…because he lived…he really did.
In Memory of Kees L. who died in an automobile accident 1/26/14.
What a nice way to remember this young man. I loved the line…a smiling boy with a frog in his pocket.