I have been reading the blog of Katie Granju, whose 18 year old son, Henry, just died from complications due to a brutal assualt and drug overdoes. You can read more about her and her story on her blog http://www.mamapundit.com/. My heart aches for her and her loss.
It is a sad story. It is one that reminds me how some things - even ones very close to home - are truly outside of our control. No matter how much we try to make a difference, no matter how much support we give someone, the outcome of their life is theirs to determine. We can't force people to make good choices. We can't force them to accept help when it is needed. Someimtes, even though we are fighting as hard as we can, they slip away from us and succumb to their demons.
A columnist for a local newspaper, Steve Wildsmith, wrote about his interaction with Katie's son and hsi thoughts upon Henry's death, and I liked his perspective. You can read his story here. My favorite part was his closing line:
"Rest in peace, Henry. You were always loved. I wish that would have been enough."
I too wish that would have been enough.
