It was a complicated day at work, but ignoring that, the message I got from Aidan this afternoon changed everything about the feeling I have about this particular day.
A high school friend of his died in a car accident last night. He found out via Instagram. That should be a reminder for all of us that news no longer comes via media but via social media, and how our kids know much more than we do about what they care about before any of us in media do our jobs.
The moment he texted me I remembered the title of the wire story I had seen earlier today: "Fatal accident." I always hate those wire posts, fearing I might somehow be connected to the people whose lives have ended.
This time, as it turns out, I was, through my son.
The car his friend was riding in, or maybe driving, was speeding at 11 p.m. last night when it clipped a SUV, flipped off of 580, crashed into a tree and burned. The boy and his friend died instantly.
So the only comfort I could offer Aidan was that -- no suffering.
"I'm glad he didn't lay hurting in a hospital," was Aidan's response.
How do you talk to your kids at these moments? Did I say the right things?
Meanwhile, I cannot imagine the pain that boy's family and close friends must be feeling. We lose children through accidents over and over. Kids take risks. Is there any way our society could get better? Self-driving cars?
Might there be a day today's text and call for me and Aidan could not have to happen?
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