Loosing a child

From the New York Times:

"Ivan Cameron was just 6, a boy with a lovely smile who was born with cerebral palsy and a severe form of epilepsy that deprived him of the ability to walk, talk or feed himself. He spent much of his time in the hospital, sometimes with his parents sleeping on the floor beside him, helping care for what they called their “beautiful boy.”

Loosing a child has the be the hardest, cruelest, most devastating experience to ever happen to a person. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Cameron family and all the other families that have had to go through this excruciating loss.

I am reminded of the profound vulnerability of parenthood. There is no balm. There is no shield. It is the way it is. We all feel the injustice of such an occurrence yet it happens everyday.

I will share a story. Jake's older brother, the shining first born son, was killed in a car accident at the frighteningly young age of 23. Horrible, sad, a sickening loss. Jake was 12 years old. Something like this never goes away. It is part of the family fabric for all time. Jake still mourns and it is part of who he is. Does time help? Maybe but the hurt never goes away. His parents never really got over it. And, who could blame them. There is no getting over loosing a child.

Remember during the Vice Presidential debates? Joe Biden told the story of sitting bedside of his small son who survived the car accident that killed his wife and small daughter all those years ago. He choked up on national television. A wound like that never really heals. I liked Joe Biden before but loved him after that. This is a man who knows what is important in life.

There are many special parents out there living with and struggling with the same challenges that the Cameron family experienced. My thoughts are also with you tonight.