The Cruelty of Young Death

This morning when I woke up I imagined that this would be a great week. As a matter of a fact I had pre-planned it. My lesson plans were written and submitted early, and I had made plans to update grades and make a new spectacular PowerPoint, eliminating much stress from my weekly schedule of chaos. But there was some pre-planning for my pre-planning that said my week would go completely differently. For on this morning I received life changing news in a most random fashion. There had been an accident over the weekend, and it had resulted in the death of an Ouachita student. He and his friends had been on their way home when something went wrong and he, a passenger, was ejected from the vehicle and killed. Michael- only a week before- had finally gotten what he wanted for a while. Michael had been saying since last school year that he wanted to go back to Caldwell Parish to be with his family and friends. I had tried during that school year and up until the week he left to convince him to stay at Ouachita; he had so much potential to be something great. He was always happy, and his classmates thought his down home country humor was hilarious. It was Michael who requested prayer and lead it on the day that we took our state exams. It had become a joke that one day he would be a preacher. I hoped that he would grow to love Ouachita High School just as much as he loved his last school. However, a little over one week ago, Michael said his final good bye as he left our school.

I anticipated seeing Michael again, maybe in the store or when our school played his. Maybe he would even change his mind and come back. Yet, fate and God’s plan would not match anything that I imagined, because I would not see Michael ever again. This morning, when I got the news that my 17 year old former student was the only one out four people to die in this accident, I was devastated. I left the room in disarray and tears, heartbroken by what seemed to be God’s betrayal. I still didn’t want to believe it; I had to read the article myself to verify the truth. Michael Woods, 17 year old teen, is dead after a fatal car accident. For two hours I sat in the same spot, not moving, not wanting to be touched. I was equipped to handle a lot of things; I have been through struggles, but death has always been the hardest for me to cope with. I felt weak and small, angry and confused. Seventeen year old kids don’t deserve to die.

I began to think about his classwork that is still stashed in my file cabinets with the rest of his classmates. I thought about my god daughters, two of whom I had seen only hours ago. I realized that it was always a chance that I could not see them again. I thought about my 17 year old sister in class at that moment in Texas; who could guarantee I would see her again? I thought about my mother, my brothers, my friends, my family…all of whom I could not imagine my life without. Some I am sure could not imagine life without me. I prayed with an immeasurable intensity for his family, mine, and every child who enters my class. I begged for death to not come knocking at their door. Yet, in all honesty, I fully realize that the plans of God will far outweigh my pleas at times. So then I prayed for strength to accept that death is a part of life. And though it seems that out of this world is the worse place he can be, may Michael rest in peace.

The Exit

There are so many ways you can exit this stage
But how will you go?
What determines the pain you feel as you make your grand exit?
Or how your exit will arrive?
Will it be due to some unfortunate terminal illness that befell you suddenly?
Or a violent interaction between man and a force stronger than self?

 -another car, a knife, a gun, a tragic fall off of a cliff or an unpreventable freak accident

I used to think days are only shortened by disrespect and misbehavior because others say that this is according to the word
But I’ve seen the evil ways of children who grow to be the meanest of adults and the grouchiest of old people

 and it seems that their days have hardly been lessened
So often angels walk the face of this earth sharing their love and joy with everyone
Only to be taken from our presence seemingly all too soon.
And what do we do
But cry, remember, and cherish the special moments held
The good ,the bad, and all those things in between are the bittersweetness
Of knowing it was a blessing to have them

yet we are so sad that they are gone.

© Copyright 2012 by Motivational Inspirations