Last Tuesday night my friend Annette and I met a woman whose 27 year-old son has a serious drug problem. She said he'd been in two rehabs and had relapsed both times after he left. She was fairly sure that he was still abusing drugs and she was trying everything in her power to get him help, but she also realized that she couldn't force him to do anything until he was ready. And it was clear he wasn't ready. She seemed like a lovely woman, with two other kids who are both doing quite well. She said that when this son was growing up, he was the golden child, the one everyone thought was the most lovely and perfect kid you could ever ask for.
On Friday, Annette heard from the woman. Her son died Wednesday morning of an overdose.
We were stunned. I can only imagine how much pain she is in right now.
It also made me think about parenting. Same mother, three kids, one dies of a drug overdose. She obviously loved her son, I'm sure she did everything in her power to be a good mother. I think that most people try hard to be loving and supportive parents and also to be firm and offer good guidance and impart life lessons.
But sometimes we fail. Miserably. And sometimes, we succeed. Sometimes our kids seem to be doing well and sometimes they are unhappy, depressed, frustrated. I don't know the answer to any of this, I just know that my heart breaks for that woman whose son didn't make it.
1 comment:
Oh, this is so sad.
My heart is breaking for her.
Beautifully written, friend.
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