Personal Narrative: Death Of A Child

In April of 2015, I was spending my sophomore year spring break with my parents in Louisville, KY at a travel volleyball tournament. Sunday, April 12th I began to receive several messages and calls from peers back in my hometown concerning the death of one of our classmates in an automobile accident. He was a star athlete and was well-known in our tight-knit community of Woodruff, SC. I happened to sit beside the senior boy in my first period class each day; consequently, it was devastating to hear of his passing just before returning to school the very next day. The first few hours of that day revealed to me that the situation was much worse than we initially thought. Other family called my parents and me to tell us that one of our closest
relatives had been driving his two friends home when he ran off the side of the road, striking a tree that instantly killed his best friend in the passenger seat. Spartanburg County law enforcement arrested my first cousin for felony DUI resulting in death and felony DUI with great bodily injury. He and two of his friends—all students at WHS—had snuck out of their respective homes to enjoy what they thought would be an innocent night of drinking. The circumstances were unimaginable. I knew that soon I would be attending a funeral, and not long after, I would await a verdict in a courthouse. The loss of the life involved was dismaying to everyone who knew him; moreover, it was even more disheartening to know we would soon be saying goodbye to another good heart. For a time span of almost 10 years, I was neighbors with much of my family, including three of my cousins who doubled as my closest friends.
We were all within two years of age and completely inseparable. Not a day went by that we did not find anything to do together; as a result, we formed a love for one another that could not be broken with any distance. Although, as we got older, we found other friends, and our families moved to new houses, but we never lost the connection that we had as children. The four of us would soon be tested as the oldest boy works off his sentence. It has been almost two years since that fatal accident occurred. A bitter trial ended with a two and a half year prison sentence for my relative in Camden, SC. Once, we could simply walk across the street to see each other, but now, I welcome phone calls that first tell me a convicted felon is dialing
me. Watching this situation unfold, I have learned what the true consequences of “being a teenager” are.
The majority of high school students are involved in weekend activities involving alcohol or drugs without realizing the penalties they face. Through such a hard time, I learned that responsibility is a much more relevant quality than it may seem. I believe that is what being an adult is, acting responsibly and taking care of yourself and others around you. Being affected by a DUI fatality showed me how my seemingly innocent actions in high school and into college could potentially ruin not only my life, but my friends’ and family’s lives as well. Since the incident, I have always advocated to those around me that “bad habits” are more than just simple immaturity. It is crucial for my generation to realize that it only takes one night to affect all the days after. Although my family and I had to endure a difficult time, I appreciate the lessons that the hardship taught me. I have achieved a maturity and an understanding that some people may never reach. I am comfortable in saying that I am no longer a child, but I have learned the lessons that make me an
adult.