This afternoon I took a walk through our neighborhood toward the park. I guess I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the wonderful sun before "Mr.Winter" steals it away from me. A sick feeling came over me as I got closer to the grass and saw a glimpse of a "Memorial tree". The limbs hung over a creek and the playground could easily be seen by someone sitting beneath its branches.
You can't go far in Denver with out seeing these "Memorial trees". They are usually made up of a cross, flowers, teddy bears and notes attached to a tree. The memorials are usually for young kids who have died accidentally. For example the child was accidentally driving drunk, accidentally on drugs, or accidentally caught in the cross fire of a gun....
I'm sure some of these children were probably thinking they were some how invincible and death would be an impossible conclusion....or for some death was the only way they knew to escape the pain from the world they were living in.....
As I sat under the branches I remember hearing about this 15 year old boy who was found dead in the creek a couple of months ago. The media said the body was in the creek for 18 hours before being found. Also, the death was "Accidental".
BTW... Anyone in the city knows that "Accidental" is a nice way of saying,"He committed suicide or he died of a drug overdose".....
But, this memorial tree really saddened me. As I searched for flowers, ribbons or teddy bears..there wasn't any.....what I saw was a magazine picture of a drug pipe and an empty pack of camel cigarette's. Also an empty pack of gum and little pieces of paper with words from what appeared to be this boys friends...
Tears filled my eyes when out of all the notes...there was not one from an adult (or parent).
My heart hurt as I realized the gifts that were left for this child were not pretty flowers or soft teddy bears. Instead nailed to the tree was a picture from an old magazine of a drug pipe and an empty pack of what must have been his favorite smokes...
As I was sitting underneath the tree this song came to mind.."God Bless the Child"
Let's all say goodbye to this unseen boy with a song of love and understanding.....
And let this be a reminder of all the lost children out there crying out to be seen!
Shania Twain - God Bless the Child
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