Remembering Dyllan

When Elijah was born, my friends Todd and Candie came to the hospital with their son, Dyllan, who was just a couple days short of being a year old. He was Elijah's first friend, there from Day 1.

When Elijah was a year old, I went back to college, and so did Candie. She went to class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and I kept Dyllan. I took Tuesday-Thursday classes, and she kept Elijah. So the boys were together all week. It was the perfect scenario - I was lucky to be home with E five days a week, and Candie & I switched out instead of paying each other, since neither of us were yet working.

Dyllan and Elijah were best buddies through toddlerhood and preschool, and since their birthdays were so close together, they shared parties at the end of the summers.

1995

1996

1997

Once they started separate schools and made different friends, their lives took divergent courses. But they always stayed in touch via facebook. Like kids do. 

Because Dyllan's birthday was after September 1, they both graduated high school in the Class of 2011. Dyllan was about to begin his sophomore year at Mississippi State.

But we lost Dyllan on the Fourth of July. And there's nothing you can do or say to ease the tragedy of losing a young person. It's never right. It's never acceptable. It's never okay. No parent should ever have to bury a child.

So I'm going to be pissed off. And I'm going to cry. Because it's not fair and it's not right. And there's not a damn thing I can do it about it. But remember him. Our little blond-haired baby boys.