Five Twenty One

Imagine being told that your child, your second born, and your only son is dead. I know, who would want to imagine such a thing. Well, for me, it was no imagination; it was real. This was suddenly my reality. What is a mother supposed to do when faced with such news? The days following my son's death were some of the most challenging days of my entire life. Yet, I found encouragement in focusing on how he lived versus how he died. All mothers know just how much a child means to her, but it was particularly encouraging to hear how much my son meant to others. In this book, you will read about the life of a kind-hearted and adventurous young man. Included are just a few of the many stories about how much he meant to his friends and family. These stories help me to navigate the complex waters of my grief. In his honor and to continue his legacy of giving, my husband and I started a foundation in his name. The foundation seeks to encourage everyone, especially teenagers and young adults, not to compare themselves to anyone but to be the best they can be.