In Death There's L.I.F.E.

A few weeks ago I was prepared to share with the world about the success of the RUN4LIFE Camp and the amazing experience of impacting the lives of 22 metro Atlanta youth. I remember being in a meeting and someone asking, “How do you know when you have had success with your youth?” My response was simple, “When an individual is able to look at L.I.F.E. and understand it from a different perspective.” Once you have that mentality the sky’s the limit!

That day I was on top of the world until I learned that one of the kids that I used to work with was murdered here in Atlanta. All the talk of success in that moment did not mean a thing to me.

I totally understand that we (RUN4LIFE) have been and will continue to impact the lives of many youth, but you also have to understand this young man’s story. He was in the foster care system and although he was adopted and loved by many, when I knew him, he felt very alone. He looked up to his mentors, brother, and his foster mother, who died a few years prior, but he was also a byproduct of the “infamous foster care system.”

The details of his death are sketchy at best...got into an argument with someone and then gunned down! The thing that hurts the most is that he used to always say, “I probably won’t make it to 18.” According to his time table he lived longer than he thought. This week he would have been 22 years old. Although he was legally a man, he was a kid…What kind of L.I.F.E. is that to lead? To think the ceiling of your L.I.F.E. will cap out at the supposed age of adulthood? And the very fear that he confessed years ago over came him. He never wanted to be alone, and when he was murdered he was there…alone.

The reason I am sharing this is to shake us up, including myself! As long as this continues we have to be aggressive to shake up the established “norms”…the lackluster expectations of the foster care system, the blaming nature of our culture, the insidious violence, and BE FEARLESS in being proactive to save our children. He was one of our children…because ALL of our children will one day mature to become the adults of our society.
Franklin, you are loved! You are missed…

“You may be one person in the world…but to one person you may be the world!”
Volunteer, mentor, and/or positively shape the lives of your children and BE the change my beloved beautiful people! Someone out there needs your presence!

4 L.I.F.E.!