Friday night – grief online

Tomorrow is Connor M’s memorial service. It’s been hard this week watching our community try to get their heads around the unthinkable …. . I was out of town all week . but I was able to watch folks integrating Connor’s death on Facebook… it reminded me how important and helpful  I found social networking to be when Sam died.. Back then it was Myspace. Talkign to everyone on myspace is what inspired me to start this blog. .. I still have a record of everythign folks wrote.. I still have sam’s myspace page.. folks still post on it occasionally.. and they even send Sam messages there, still. I see them come in.. but I never read them.. I still view them as private.

Here’s a memorial site that someone set up for Connor.. Kids are using it to share their feelings .. and comfort one another..

I’ve noticed that as a sign of support,  tons of kids at MMU have changed their FB profile picture to the purple rose picture from this site..

I even saw how the event got people thinking about us.. Here’s a hit profile of the night I blogged about Connor’s death.. 

I know it might sound strange to be thinking about this stuff now., but .. I’m really grateful that the community has a resource like Facebook to use in a time like this.  I wonder if the creaters ever thoguht their software could help people so much in tough times ?

nite all, nite Sam.. just checked your site

-me

Thursday night – home early

I was able to get an earlier flight home.. so I’m going to get home tonight.. not tomorrow.. It’s been hard to be away this week. Thanks to everyone who checked in with us this week after Connor Mennings death. I’m surprised.. and grateful that folks thought of us.. I have to admit.. I was surprised by that.. We’re fine.. our thoughts are on Connor and his family..    I hope the community can support them as you all have supported us over these last four years since Sam’s death..

Ahh we’re boarding.. more later..

nite all, nite sam

-me

Monday night – Connor Menning

This morning we learned that Connor Menning, a 15 year old kid at Mount Mansfield died by his own hand while at school .Connor was in Gabe’s math class and one his LAX team.. he was a really good kid..

like everyone else in our community, I’m grieving tonight .. and sending my love out to Connor, his family, his classmates and our whole community.

I’ve tried several times to wrap some words around what I’m feeling . I wish there was something in our experience around Sam’s death  and our slow healing that would help .. I want to say something that will make it make sense. to try and bring some comfort to others… But.. I know there are no good words..

Connor’s friends are organizing a memorial for him tomorrow at MMU. The organizers are asking everyone to wear purple in Collin’s memory.

Please keep Connor in your hearts and let your response to this tragedy come from love respect and caring for Conner, his family and for each other. Our community is at its best when we come together in love. That’s how the healing will start…

I wish you all peace.. , nite sam

-jc