Today Luke died. I didn't know him, I never met him, but my heart is breaking for the loss of his beautiful young life and for his parents. His parents. His parents. Our Dakota moved from Rancho Bernardo High to Poway High with Luke; they were casual friends but friends And today, Luke died. The day before today, he turned 17.
Dakota is 17. All of you parents know that without wanting it to be so, without meaning to, when a child dies who is the same age as one of your children, you feel it differently, a slight shift in the plunge of empathy and you are caught a little deeper off guard, a little closer to the vortex, the unimaginable vortex of losing a child.
17 year old boys are light, but light's movement- they are light moving through the world, they are at once energy's greatest release and the longest sleep of weekend days. 17 year old boys are arrogant, prideful and still the tenderhearted little boys of seven years ago. Seven years ago they were ten. 17 year old boys are brightness of mind and quickness of tongue at the same time they are stumble mouthed, they are beautiful youth, Adonis, they are working tendons and lean armpits filled with hair that still feels new, they are sexual charges and random bursts of rage, they are catapults for joy and creative forces. 17 year old boys are long striding runs through back alleys and jumps on skateboards through parking lots, 17 year old boys are climbing fences and driving cars. 17 year old boys are brilliant smiles and sweaty shirts and stink pit rooms and guzzling water and slamming heads to music and shouts, shouts, and 17 year old boys are the promise of tomorrow, they are just begun.
How can what just begun be ended?
I know it is not a new question. But it boggles my mind the same. How can a light so bright as the one from a young man's smile be extinguished forever because of one stupid night? However long I live, I don't expect to ever get used to the random nature of life and death. It is heartbreaking.
My son is sad tonight. I am sad tonight. Luke Lipscomb, I'm so sorry you lost your life sweet boy.
I am praying hard for you and your family now.
Dakota is 17. All of you parents know that without wanting it to be so, without meaning to, when a child dies who is the same age as one of your children, you feel it differently, a slight shift in the plunge of empathy and you are caught a little deeper off guard, a little closer to the vortex, the unimaginable vortex of losing a child.
17 year old boys are light, but light's movement- they are light moving through the world, they are at once energy's greatest release and the longest sleep of weekend days. 17 year old boys are arrogant, prideful and still the tenderhearted little boys of seven years ago. Seven years ago they were ten. 17 year old boys are brightness of mind and quickness of tongue at the same time they are stumble mouthed, they are beautiful youth, Adonis, they are working tendons and lean armpits filled with hair that still feels new, they are sexual charges and random bursts of rage, they are catapults for joy and creative forces. 17 year old boys are long striding runs through back alleys and jumps on skateboards through parking lots, 17 year old boys are climbing fences and driving cars. 17 year old boys are brilliant smiles and sweaty shirts and stink pit rooms and guzzling water and slamming heads to music and shouts, shouts, and 17 year old boys are the promise of tomorrow, they are just begun.
How can what just begun be ended?
I know it is not a new question. But it boggles my mind the same. How can a light so bright as the one from a young man's smile be extinguished forever because of one stupid night? However long I live, I don't expect to ever get used to the random nature of life and death. It is heartbreaking.
My son is sad tonight. I am sad tonight. Luke Lipscomb, I'm so sorry you lost your life sweet boy.
I am praying hard for you and your family now.
EDITED
