WHEN WILL MY STOMACH STOP CHURNING?

I just read the Savannah Morning News and got sick to my stomach. I saw the story about the man who killed one elderly lady and hurt another one. I stared in astonishment at the name. I know this man I could not believe it. I have not been in touch with his family in several years. I am still in shock. He was a tall and slender man with a quiet way about him and a great smile. He has three sweet kids, one is only about 16 years old. My heart goes out to them and to the families of the victims. From the article, it seems the man was on drugs and was looking for drug money when he killed one lady and hurt another.

One of the victim's relatives said God teaches her to forgive him, however, she seeks justice for her mother's death. I hope this will ease their pain in some way. I feel such pain for his family as well. Those children have lost their father, probably forever. His mother and father must feel such shame and remorse for what he has done. They have already lost one son to a terrible auto accident which killed him and another person in the other car. How much heartache can a person endure? His mother is one of the nicest, most Christian ladies you would ever want to meet.
This man was raised in a Christian home and was loved by all. He just made the wrong choices and many suffered for them.

Will the day ever come when we will be free of drug and alcohol addictions? When will people realize that once hooked on some drugs or alcohol, your life is not your own anymore. You are at the mercy of your drug addiction and your drug dealer. I understand that some drugs are so addictive, that one dose hooks you for life. I read where cocaine addiction can actually cause your heart to explode, if you get too much in your system. It is bad enough when people buy illegal drugs on the street, and worse when they become addicted to prescription drug pain killers. What a catch-22 situation? Is it something in our brains that cause us to be prone to drug addiction? I read a story in the AJC about an accident to a woman's deep brain which caused her to lose the desire and craving for cigarettes (nicotine). Could this be a way of discovering a method to isolate this part of our brains to offset addictions of any kind? It would be an amazing medical breakthrough, but how many people would volunteer to have it done? Probably not as many as we would like. It is hard to give up your vices, if they feed an inner need for comfort and euphoria.

If alcoholism is considered a disease and can be inherited, cannot the addiction to drugs be considered to be a disease and inherited as well. It must be from the same addiction center in the brain. I am not trying to excuse what this man has done in any way. I just wonder, if he had this problem for some time and had no treatment, or if it was a new occurrence in his life. Surely, his family would have noticed his problem and tried to get help for him. If he refused, then no amount of assistance would have saved him, or his victims, which include three families. The victims of his crimes and his own family unit.

All I got to say, is what a waste of life and love! There are some things in life which have no rhyme or reason to them. They just spiral out of control until a death or serious injury causes them to cease. He will probably never be paroled and his family will be trudging to the prison to see him on visitation day and the salt will be poured in the wound anew. Would you abandon him to his fate? Or, would you opt for redemption of his soul and give him to God, who is the ultimate judge?

Above all these things, let this be a lesson to all of us to never stop trying to reach our children and give them honest information about drugs, alcohol, smoking, birth control, unwanted pregnancies, how to relate to others, teach them by example, and tell them that their choices not only effect them but their families and others. Be frank and don't condemn, don't preach, teach, share, hug, kiss, love, be kind, be firm, be strict when needed, do all you can to guide them. There are no guarantees this will work, however, at least the more they know, the better their choices, I would hope. Being a parent is the hardest job in the world and sometimes the least rewarding. Hang in there for yourself and your children while they are with you. Once they reach that age of accountability, the choices are their own, you pray they make the right ones for all concerned.

Remember, share the love and kindness in your lives, pass it on.

Georgia Peach