This is my story. A few years ago we were introduced to a boy , who at the time was only 10 years old. He was very energetic, as all 10 year old boys are, and had the most infectious laugh I've ever heard. He moved in with his grandparents, who live across the road from my husband and I.
You see, the boy really didn't have much of a chance to make it in life. His parents were divorced, his mother was a drug addict and couldn't quite make up her mind which drug king was going to be Matts' uncle for the week, month? She subjected herself to physical abuse, as well as her son. Being a mother of 2 I find this repulsive and inexcusable.
Nonetheless, the boy was taken away from his mother and came to stay with his grandma and stepgrandpap. I have never seen a couple so willing to open their home, their hearts and their lives to show Matt what life could be like with people around him that loved him and cared about him. My family immediatley loved him, he came to visit almost everyday and play with my children. Laughter always filled my home when Matt came to visit. He was truly a gem, and deserved to be happy.
Eventually, he started to worry about his mother and her boyfriends who beat on her, so he decided he would go back with his mother, just for a little while. He never came back, on November 22, 1999 we received a phone call that Matt was dead. A single shot to the head from a 20 gauge shotgun took our dear boy away from us forever.
A 15 year old boy was looking at a gun at a friends house and didn't realize the gun was loaded...... I am so very angry, I feel such deep sorrow over this sensless loss of a wonderful child who now will never be able to live his life the way he wanted.
I think of his smiling face and infectious laugh every single day and I cry somber tears everyday also. How do you deal with such a sensless tragedy? Does he know how badly we all miss him? Does he realize how many peoples lives he touched ?
We never were able to say goodbye.
Thank you for listening.
Lori Seamans
