My friend B

My friend B joined my church youth group when I was in 8th grade and he was a freshman in my soon-to-be high school. An only child, he was gregarious, charming and had a smile that would light up the room. He was a joker, but was also very kind. I remember, he painted ceramic jewelry boxes with our initials for all the girls in the youth group. He was extremely popular both at church and in school and had a lot of friends. But, his parents yearned for a simpler life and so they moved to a more rural area and we all missed his dynamic personality, especially the girls. Life went on and about a year or two later, his parents sent word to the church that a girl had broken B’s heart. He was devastated. But instead of seeking the comfort of God or his parents or friends, he chose a rifle and used a permanent solution for his temporary pain.

It still stings to this day. What hope did the rest of us have if such a sweet human being with a bright future didn’t make it? I still think to this day that if he had waited even a few hours…if his parents had the foresight to lock up or remove the firearm…if he had called someone he trusted…that today, we would be seeing photos of his kids and grandkids on Facebook.

Lisa M