When your child hurts, you hurt. Our 13 yr. old recieved a text from a "friend" saying that he was being released from the hospital. Cory asked why/what? The other kid said that he and two other of their friends were involved in a hit and run by a drunk driver. With tears running down his face, our oldest looked at us and told us the details as the texts came in. We all stopped what we were doing and prayed for everyone involved. Details came in by the sentence, two of the three boys were in ICU at Gateway, hit and run, drunk driver, one of the boy's mom's was driving she was hurt also, but released. One of the boys wasn't wearing a seatbelt and went through the windshield. Horrible, vivid details. Our child was emotionally hurting, we hurt together. These boys are at our home, and Cory is at theirs our lives intertwined. How quickly things can change.
Brian had a soccer game this morning and so we headed out and planned to go straight to the hospital after the game. Poor Cory couldn't look at anyone and kept his hat pulled down so no one would see the tears.
The game couldn't be over fast enough.
Imagining the worst, we stepped through the doors to the hospital. The information folks couldn't tell us if anyone was there by either name. I thought maybe since they were under age I couldn't find out, so I desperately started searching my phone for other parents numbers. The ones I got in touch with hadn't heard about the accident, but wanted to know how they could help.
The boy that was texting Cory, Cory had his mothers number so he called her asking her what room the boys were in . She said it wasn't a good time and she didn't know where her son was to call back later. I thought maybe she was overwhelmed with her child being hurt, so I asked another nurse if she could check the ICU list. She did and didn't find either boys name on it. She was real sweet and called out to Ft. Campbell hospital and a couple hospitals in Nashville, coming up empty each time.
Poor Cory, he just sat in the floor of the hospital with his head in his hands. He wasn't understanding why he couldn't find his friends. Helping him up, and walking him towards the car I assured him we would catch a break somehow, someway.
We did, several minutes later when Cory got a text saying: "It was a joke, we are sorry we never thought you would take us so seriously."
WHAT? Stunned silence got us home. Cory texted back to his friends that his mom didn't think that was funny. (your dang skippy I didn't!)
After speaking to Sweetie about the whole thing, and the rest of the parents on alert to bring food, pray, ect. We talked about how to best handle this whole horrible experience.
Just as we had made our minds up, my phone rang and it was the boys mom that Cory called earlier. She was calling to apologise for her son's behavior. Apparently he had let another boy type those messages out to Cory. He was very sorry for his part in it, and was sorry he had disappointed me.
I didn't say much to the young man, just that I needed to speak with his mother again. She and I discussed the situation, and she was sorry that her son had disrupted our day and hurt Cory so terribly. She just couldn't imagine how he could be involved in a prank like this.
This mom and I will go together here in the next couple of hours to the parents of the child that was texting the lies and let them in on the "joke" of the day.
I share this not only because it affected me and my family, but because of the ripples of hurt and concern it caused for others. This has given Sweetie and I the opportunity to remind the boys that anything that goes out of their phone is their responsibility, don't loan your phone out.
I know that kids will pull stuff that makes parents shake their heads in exasperation, but I believe with all these new electronic toys, internet ect that our children have at their disposal, puts them in a whole other realm of danger from our childhood. These electronics come with responsibility, and I'm glad to see at least one other parent that is willing to make their child accept theirs.
1 comment:
Just shocked at this! And truly sorry that your son was hurt and scared. I can't imagine how you must feel trying to deal with that, and yet I know my day will come. About 10 more years til the teenage things hit here....but I do know that you handled it with grace and the spirit of God, like you do everything. Will pray for you and yours.....
Rebecca
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