Too Big for Words

I've been a high school teacher for two years now. I have a Master's Degree in Teaching. I've worked at summer camps across the country and have dealt with some of the most ridiculous situations ever while at those camps. I have worked with blind and severely disabled students who were known to throw feces at me or try to bite me. I have worked with kids who have been in the United States for less than six weeks and know about seven words of English.

While I've had a lot of experiences working with kids throughout my life, I'm convinced that nothing I've done up to this point could have prepared me for the phone call I received this morning from a vice principal at my school. The first thing she said to me at 8:15 this morning was that they were activating the phone tree because they had some news they needed to share. Instanteously I knew it was something bad...they don't even use the phone tree for snow days...let alone a Tuesday morning in July. She was calling to let me know that one of our students had died last night from an accidental gunshot wound.

Shock.

But not as shocked as I was when she told me the name. In a school of 2200, what are the chances that I actually know the kid? Apparently today the odds are in my favor...though I don't really think that's a good thing. Little Scott Rutherford, who I never actually had in class, but knew very well through a bunch of student council things, was accidentally shot by his older brother last night. Before they were even able to call 911, he died. He was 16.

Death is a crazy thing. You think that you're prepared for it...you trust that God has everything under control...you try to be strong...

He was just a little kid. Sure, he was one of those kids that a lot of teachers wanted nothing to do with because he was a little jerk sometimes, but all in all, he was just another 16 year old boy trying to figure out life. But now he doesn't get to do that anymore. And his friends now have the burden of figuring life out on top of dealing with the death of a friend.

I can't even imagine...