Deafening Silence

One of my students committed suicide in the wee hours of the morning.

I found out this morning while I was at the school doing SADD sign ups. One of the teachers pulled me aside to let me know what was going on. 

My first thought was, "That was that goofy kid I had in Advanced Psych yesterday."

My second thought was about all of the students who would soon be finding out about it.

I spent most of my day thinking about the 3 students that my senior class lost before we graduated. Angel Finn who died in a car accident on April 7, 2004. It was a Wednesday. Maggie Compton who died in a car accident May 27, 2005. It was a Friday. Tim Egan who died January 12, 2006. It was a Thursday.

I remember all of those days very vividly. I could give you details about those days.

I thought a lot about Tim Egan today.

Here's how that day went: I went through my normal routine. Woke up at 7:45, threw some clothes on, brushed my teeth, and went to school. After school I had a job babysitting the Hamilton kids. When their father got home, I went home. I walked in the door and checked my messages on the machine. There was one from Tolliver saying that I needed to call him back. So I did.....He told me Tim had been found hanging in his home. It was his little sister that found him. That night an old friend called me to check on me. She knew the next day would be rough. She knew since I was the SADD president that I would be in the Library the next day, and she knew that I would need to be strong for my fellow classmates.

There was this deafening silence that reign through out the seniors that day at school. No one really talked. We were all just so numb. He was the 3rd classmate we had lost in a 3 year period. And the way he died......it still haunts me.

I will never forget any of those days. No matter how hard I try. They will forever be burned into my memory.