An Open Letter to Students at the Suncoast

Dear Student,

Be careful who your friends are!!! This morning I woke up to sirens and flashing lights and a mother and father screaming in the middle of the damp road. I got ready for the day and made my way out there. I met Frank. Frank is a dad. Frank had an 18 year old son who goes to a local high school. Frank's son had been staying with a girl and her family for the past few nights in my neighborhood, not sure why? Frank's son apparently got into some bad drugs or O.D. and died in my neighbors home last night. Did I mention he was just 18 years old? I sat there and watched a dad beat his body saying "I should have done something, I should have saved him!" all the while his son's body lay cold just a few feet away inside a strangers house. As I learned bits and pieces of the story it all came down to this... Be careful who your friends are!!!

Show me your friends and I will show you who you are going to be.

We will talk more about this tonight at Revolution, 7pm at the Warehouse.

4 comments:

Perno said...

Weird...I was walking our dog late last night and a police officer was driving by very slowly over by your house down the street...wonder if they had anything to do with each other.

I know that's not the point, but I agree youngsters...you're defined by the friends you keep. If your friends seem like losers and dirtbags, then guess what you look like?

Cheryl Moon said...

That is probably on my top five list of things to make sure my students hear from my lips, you are who you hang out with. So sad...

Cindy said...

My son knew the kid... went to school with him and attended the candlelight vigil last night. As a parent of a 24 year-old struggling with addiction, this really scares me. Your comment about friends is so true... went and posted it to my kids FB page! the father should not beat himself up.. until our kids want the help and begin helping themselves... all we can do is watch and pray. God help us all...

Perno said...

@Cindy

I've thought about the last part of your comment and have to say that when I was a teen I didn't know I needed help in any way, but all teens need some sort of help. Sometimes you have to force help to kids, they don't know any better.