Remembering "Bud"

There's never an easy way to tell your child that someone they loved has passed away.  Some kids will understand that it happens when you get really old. But what about when it happens to your teenage friend? What about your friend's parent? How do you explain that?

My parents had to have this talk with us far too many times through my teen years, and it never got any easier for either one of us.  My brother's friend passed away in a fire at age 10.  Four years later, in 2000, our friend passed away in a logging accident.  At least one friend of ours passed away each year after that until 2007.  Most were teens.  None had seen the age of 25.  I dread the day A asks where you go when you die?  Why do people have to die?  Will I ever get to see them again?

I don't have the answers to these questions.  All I know is that I'll never forget the friends I've lost.  I remember when they were here, and I remember finding out they were gone.  Isaac and I will do everything in our power to keep her happy and safe, but reality is that one day she will learn bad things sometimes happen to good people.  I want A to know that they're still a part of our lives, which is why I took her out to Wyatt's grave yesterday on the anniversary of his death.  I want her to see that it's ok to cry or yell.  It's ok to not know what to think.  Just keep showing your love for them.  Never forget them.  Write about them.  Visit them on their birthdays.  Listen to stories about them.  Live your life to the fullest and always say "I love you" to those you care about most.