Another gay teen bullied into taking his own life. Another grieving mother. And Kenneth Weishuhn's mom has something else to contend with. Before her 14-year-old son committed suicide, he built a Pinterest board.
And on that board -- sweetly titled "When I get married. (:" -- are all his hopes and dreams beautifully rendered in full color. I took one look, and I almost wish I hadn't.
I'm not Kenneth Weishuhn's mother, but it still made me cry. I let loose an angry torrent of hot tears reading through his captions for the photos he'd "pinned." And I wondered, what could this be doing to poor Jeannie Chambers?
She has told the media that her son begged her not to call the school, not to get involved, because he thought it would make the harassment worse. She respected his wishes because she was trying to be the best mom she could be. That's what moms do. We try to give our kids what they want -- within reason of course.
But now this Iowa mom has to look at all of Kenneth's wants that she can't fulfill. She has proof in pictures of the future that was stolen away from her son, from her family.
When a child dies, we talk a lot about tragedy. We talk about the loss of "potential." We talk in vague terms about the stuff of life.
But this isn't vague. This is cold, hard fact. Living in one of the few states where same-sex marriage is legal, Kenneth Weishuhn had a dream he probably could have achieved. But not now. Because we still live in a world where the same boy who could sit on his computer dreaming of one day strewing flowers in the design of the courtyard dance from the movie Tangled up the aisle where he'd walk to meet his ever after is a boy who went to school every day and faced torture at the hands of bullies ... and the mom who loved him dearly couldn't do anything to end the nightmare.
What do you wish you could say to Kenneth Weishuhn's mom today?
Image via Pinterest
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Comments 26
As a Christian we are taught this lifestyle is wrong, a sin. I believe that, however, so is about 99% of everything else we do. If you are a Christian you are also taught that we are already forgiven and in the eys of our Lord, no one sin is greater than another. Ok. But we are human. Not divine. IMO people who bully, cause pain in another like this, to where they think their only way out is death, is a greater sin. I just do not understand how parents of children who bully anyone can stand by while their child inflicts this kind of pain on another human being, or propagate hatred in their children. I do not often comment on issues about gay lesbian etc, because most know I am a Christian and automatically assume I pass judgement. I don't. Just because I think it is considered a sin, doesn't mean I don't have a human heart and believe it is not my place to pass judgement, or that these people deserve happiness just as much as the next. These cases break my heart. I don't know what I would say to his mother. I don't know what I would say to any parent that lost their child in such a horrendous way. I do know I teach my children everyone is different, and you ALWAYS stand up for those who are being attacked, regardless of their differences. That is what the Christian way is about, not hate. People forget that all to often.
Destiny, that is a beautiful comment.
Stacey, there is a HUGE difference between an adult making that decision, and a child opting for suicide after being tormented. They don't have the ability to understand the infinity of their choice, adults do, and anytime someone resorts to suicide, it's a tragedy. I am all for people taking personal responsibility, it's probably one of the comments I use on a regular basis especially when it involves politics, and gov't handouts, but I just don't think it applies in the case of a 14 year old who was continually attacked by horrible kids, unless you are using it to describe the parents of the bullies and the lack there of.
very sad and a shame