Marching Band and Accident

I have learned one of the most important lessons in life this past week, and I learned it the hard way.

The past two summers I have been in a marching band. This last summer there was one kid in my line who found marching to be extremely difficult (and don't get me wrong -- it is).

I, along with others, tried to help him get better. It wasn't working, and I made fun of him behind his back for it, and I pushed him so hard to get better. I gave him a lot of crap.

He never caught on, and he never will because he was in a hunting accident one week ago. Him and his dad were squirrel hunting when the boy accidentally shot his dad in the head. Authorities have decided that he shot himself because he felt so bad about accidentally shooting his dad. Well, ironically, his dad is still alive. The boy had been on life support for one week when yesterday his family decided to pull him off life support.

Chills ran through me when I heard the news. I felt a sense of guilt because I had picked on him because he wasn't good enough. I can't take back what I have done, but instead, I have learned from what I have done. He wasn't the most popular kid, and they are usually the ones that get picked on. So I have been trying my hardest to not make fun at anyone anymore.

Life is so precious, and even if some people aren't accepted in our eyes, they are in God's eyes. Be polite to everyone you encounter in your lives because when they are gone, you can't go back and say ''I'm sorry."

Today I am going to his memorial service, and I hope that God will spread the joy of life to others and help us see that everyone is equal - equally loveable.

I encourage others to accept people for who they are, what they have become, and what they will become.