Throughout my junior high and high school years, I was involved in my church's youth group. I knew many fellow youth members fairly well, especially those who were older than myself. It is so surreal to see my older friends getting engaged, married, and having children since it feels like yesterday that we were young high school kids hanging out playing games and doing devotionals. I knew a few of the younger students as well. At this point, those who were in the youth group when I was there are at least 23 years old now. We are all young and have our whole lives ahead of us, or so we all thought.

It was almost 9 o'clock pm on Thursday, August 24, when I received a text message I did not see coming. The text message said that a former youth group member, who was only 26 years-old, passed away of an apparent overdose. I checked my phone, and when I opened that text message, I suddenly stopped in my tracks and stared at my phone for several seconds. When I logged into Facebook, sure enough, I came across the post that that particular text message was referring to. The very post that told the whole world that you have left us. I am still having a difficult time grasping that concept.

I was never close to you. We got along fine of course, but we were not exactly best friends. However, that does not mean that I am entirely unaffected by your sudden passing. I was completely unaware of your apparent substance abuse. That does not make me feel any less of you whatsoever. I wish you would have been able to win the battle, but unfortunately, for whatever reason, it was not meant to be.

I have found myself often thinking back to our junior high and high school years, at the church and youth group. When I began to attend our church almost 15 years ago, we used a projector with songs and hymns on sheets to display them for us to see during the worship service. I remember you sitting right next to the projector, changing the slides while the songs played. Technology has come to a hell of a long way since 2002.

We all know that we will one day leave this world. When you are young, it seems like we have a million years before we have to worry about death. It is not until someone you know that is close to you in age passes away, that it becomes a wake-up call to the reality that is life.

May you rest in eternal peace,

Alex