You may have heard the horrifying and tragic story of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzy, savagely killed and dismembered in New York. Although it has been all over the news, I first read about the arrest of his murderer when I was searching for traffic accident stories for one of my freelance writing gigs. The headline blazed across the computer and I honestly wanted to vomit.
I won’t tell you the details. But as I read the news story, tears ran down my face. This little boy was simply lost and looking for directions. But he came across the wrong person to ask for help. And what followed was a random, senseless, brutal murder.
What I also find so tragic about this story is that apparently the parents had reluctantly agreed to let their little boy walk home from a day camp. He had begged his parents to walk home alone but they would only agree to meet him partway. That turned out to be a fatal mistake.
I have made many mistakes as a parent. You feel bad, a little guilty sometimes. You learn from them and you try better next time. But these poor parents will never have that opportunity. I can only imagine the guilt they are consumed with. If I could, I would take it away from them.
I know some parents would like nothing better than to chastise them for that fateful decision. But it can be really difficult as parents to know when to let go of that rope. You let go too little and our children can’t grow. You let go too much and well, it sometimes results in tragic stories like this.
Do you know how badly I want to tell my children that they can never walk out that front door without me ever again? It doesn’t matter that they are teens…tragedies like this happen to youth of all ages.
As a parent, you just never know when one decision will turn into a fatal mistake. I just hope that these parents are surrounded by loving, encouraging people who will be there for them.
I know my heart is with them…and I grieve the loss of their little boy, too.
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