When I was 11 years old I witnessed a friend die in a freak accident. We weren't doing anything unusual. We were playing a game that we played pretty much everyday in the summer. He fell, which also was typical, and ended up hitting his head this time around. Two of us ran for help but it was too late. We knew he was dead but it was confirmed later that night.

It took my a long time to learn to cope with it. My friends and I didn't talk about it much. It was just one of those "unmentionables."

It was one of those experiences that forever changes you. I feel that it has made me less overprotective and less worried as a parent. Life can be taken from you in an instant and for no real reason. My friend's parents sent him out to play that day and ended up getting a call that their son was dead. It happened in an instant. You can't protect your child from everything so there is no point in trying or worrying about it. Life is going to continue to happen. All we can do is love them, cherish them, and make life worth living no matter how long they are here for.