This isn't being shared for the purpose of gaining sympathy but in hopes that the young as well as the older users of this forum can help one another in times like what my family has had to endure this week. Monday morning at 7:15 am we were awaken by a knock at the door only to have a police officer give us a message to call the sherrif's office in a neighboring state. I was informed during that call that my son had been involved in a single car role over accident and lost his life. We hve learned during the week the specifics of the accident and that is why I am here. Young people today are so anxious to grow up and experience all that grown up life has to offer. Joey was no different and had been out drinking and made some bad choises. He was out driving on a gravel road with the Bravada and had taken a curve causing it to power slide around it; thought it was cool and decided to do it again. After turning around hit the excelerator and was grinding up the road in a serpentine manor until he lost control and went into the ditch backwards. He wasn't wearing the seat belt and was ejected from the car and it rolled over him. There are other specifics but don't need to share. My greatest concern is that the young people of today need to know how important it is to make the RIGHT decisions and that their loss of life affects so many. At the prayer service I found myself comforting so many kids he knew and it was the same way at the funeral as well. I knew his closest friends and reffered to them as my other sons and daughters. The young people are our future and hope to keep them from making the same mistakes my son did. Please live your lives to the fullest but be careful in how you do it. Thanks to all the participant on this forum. You have been an inspiration to me in the past and will be here taking part in the future. Take care you all and may the Lord bless.

With much Heartfelt Love,

Lynn C. Riveland (Gear Up)

 

Gear Up,

I am VERY sorry for your loss. I feel very moved by your words and feel certain it has already registered its due place in my heart and in my mind for advice to the children in my family. Words can never say enough, and the loss is never fully assimilated... no matter what people might say. I lost my oldest brother to an unfortunate accident in 1990, and to this day and until the day I die, I will never get over it. All I have to do is think of him and all the memories, and I cry.

I have come to no other explanation that I can deal with except that maybe God needs more of the good one's up in heaven and some of us are left here longer either until we get it right or are finished doing as much good as we were intended to according to His plan for each of us.

My sincerest condolences,
Daryl

 

Gear Up,

I am also very sorry for your loss. There is no greater loss than the loss of a son or daughter. My father was an alcoholic and instead of becoming one myself like many children of alcoholics are disposed to do, I have disdained alcohol and so have my two grown children. It is the source of many of life's miseries.

Vern

 

So sorry to hear your news - we're praying for you all. Thanks for sharing the caution and I hope some will heed your words - none of us are "10 feet and bullet-proof".
Tim

 

With the way the world is today with the technologies that advance the disemination of information and access to so many areas it is no wonder the young people today strive to get out there and experience life as they do. It is our job as parents to show them our values and try to establish those values within them. Once they leave our door and go out on their own we hope they carry it with them.
Not trying to make excuses for Joey, one of his friends had died one year to date to his death and he had come home to go and pay respects to him in his honor. Joey was feeling blue about it when he left last Sunday and I believe he made the wrong decisions in trying to deal with the remorse. Thanks all for your consern.

Gear Up

 

Gear Up,
I know you're not looking for it, but please accept my deepest sympathy. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.
Your words are very inspiring, and are sure to touch others.

 

I'm sorry for you loss. As a young guy I know many friends that drive fast and have a little too much to drink at times.

 

Lynn

Your family is in my prayers. I'll share your story with a teenager the next chance I get.

 

Lynn,

yours is probably the hardest loss of all...we're not supposed to outlive our children..

Your words should be mandatory reading for getting a drivers license. We've lost two young people in our extended family to driving/drinking, we buried one this week....and it's so hard 'cause it's such a waste. I count my blessings everyday that I had overworked angels that kept me from death thru my teen years... I tried hard enough..not purposely of course but that invincible gene was in the "on" position.

We now live on a winding country lane...a really pretty ride in the fall with lots of curves...lots of large pine trees ....colorful hardwoods galore... 13 kids killed in a three mile stretch of road over the years... The crosses on the right of way sadden me with every passing... we'll keep your thoughts and pass them along when we think we have an ear that will listen... sadly adults don't have much luck holding the attention of the young these days...

God bless you and your family and ya'll are all at the top of our prayer list..

john and peggy

 

I too am sorry for your loss and John is right...were not supposed to outlive our kids. I want to let you know my family also has you (and your family) on our prayer list and that by talking to your son's friends you may be making a greater impact than you know. When I was in high school (long ago) one of my friends was killed in what sounds like a similar incident and his father - like yourself - was not only very comforting to us boys at the funeral but an inspiration to do the right thing going forward. I've never forgotten it and never will and it did in fact cause some very good things to happen or rather straighten out in my life. God works in ways that we can't always understand but he always works for the good of his people and, while this may not provide much comfort, I believe that God will make good come out of this.

Leaks

 

Gear Up

I can't imagine the feeling of losing a teenager or a child of any age. May God bless and comfort you and your family. 56FUN

 

More prayers from our family, Lynn. I hope your son's story will help save some lives out there and make the rest of us appreciate each day a bit more.

ROB

 

Lynn,
Not living all that far from you I heard about your son on the news. My hope is that you don't in any way blame yourself or even your son for what happened. It may be easy to say now how foolish his actions may have been but I hope you give yourself and your son more credit than that. We've all done things that seemed fun at the time only to realize later what could have happened to us.
With Deepest Sympathy and God Bless You and Your Family,
John Mickelson

 

Thoughts are with you my brother. May God Keep and comfort you.

 

i wish u and your family long life
gary