Drained

Our 13 year old neighbor and friend lost her best friend last night. She took her own life.

I can't even imagine what the girl's family is going through - nor our young friend. When I think back to how close my best friend and I were in 8th grade, I am certain that if she had died, it could well have been the end of me too.

The Teen is not taking this well. He and the girl were not close friends, but they did hang out here at the house and at the mall a few times, and I guess he talked to her at school. He spent the day at our neighbor's house with some of her other friends, which was probably a good thing. But once he was home, he wanted to talk and cry and look at pictures and talk some more.

I'm blessed to have a teenage son who wants to talk to me. But it's also not easy. He expects me to have answers when I don't, and he experiences (and expresses) his emotions with such intensity, it overwhelms me sometimes. Especially at midnight on a day that left me feeling sad and drained as it is. I wound up yelling at him when I found him still up, still messing around long after he was supposed to be asleep. And then I felt crappy for yelling.

It's been a long day. Praying for my neighbor and for her friend and their families. So, so sad.