^ That's how I feel right now. ^
Friday, I received news that one of my former students had been killed in an automobile accident that morning. I had heard about an accident. It had occurred right before school on the state highway that runs through Kaufman. It had shut down traffic and buses could not get through. We were told not to count students tardy to first period because of the traffic shutdown. I had heard that someone had to be CareFlighted to the hospital.
I didn't realize at the time that one of my former students was the victim.
Man.
Jacob was a fine student. Class of 2012. He had been one of my Advanced Placement students his sophomore year. He was a baseball player. He was very respectful. He had a fine future ahead of him. An awful tragedy.
I have a list of over a dozen former students who have passed away in the past eighteen years. That list is way too long. It would be much too long if only one student had died. But over a dozen? It's hard to process. All these fine young people, lost so soon. Car accidents, suicide, health issues, drugs... All sorts of circumstances and all sorts of tragedies.
So today, I remember Jacob. And I look out at my current students and I tell them to be nicer to each other and to make good decisions and to enjoy life as much as possible. But I often wonder which one will be next. Which one will be taken too soon.
Heartbreaking.
