Editors Note: Due to recent tragedies and the profound impact this subject has had on our readers, we've chosen to re-run this feature. Unfortunately, this hits very close to home for many. We hope it will make a difference for you, generating conversations and opening lines of communication with your kids and those you choose to share it with. It is lovingly dedicated to my college friend, Lisa.
- Originally ran January 2017 -
I sat in the balcony of a beautiful, historical, Lutheran church in downtown Charleston. It was a Friday morning. I peered down to the sea of black, bulging from the pews of the filled sanctuary. It was somber. The overwhelming sound of sniffles wafted through the air, followed by quickly wiped tears. It was the funeral of Carter. He was 22.