OUR youth are needlessly killing themselves and each other, leaving families traumatised to deal with the aftermath through their own pain. This was highly evident during the sentencing of a man in Masterton last week. He was broken in both body and spirit knowing he was responsible for the death of his best mate.
Throughout the sentencing the pain from both sides, still dealing with their individual losses, was deeply emotional to be a part of.
This is every parent's nightmare as they watch their teenagers grow wings and gain independence. As a mother I felt their turmoil. "There, but by the grace of God could have been any of us".
It's not an easy issue to deal with when our kids are determined to believe they are six feet tall and bullet-proof and act in such a manner.
Many years ago a group of teenage school friends, of my then 15-year-old son, arrived at our home one Saturday night asking if he could go out with them. I looked in the vehicle and they had alcohol so my alarm bells sounded automatically.