Story of Someone I’ve Never Met and Now Never Will

I was asked a few weeks ago to help run the data projector for a funeral which would be happening on 15th February. Little did I know how much the funeral would touch me and just how much it would make me look at life. The funeral was for Brendon Smith, a 17 year old boy who had been killed will riding his bike not that far from where i live, he was only 10 years younger than myself.

It made me think of all that I have done in the past ten years and all the experiences he will never have. Getting Married, Having Kids, learn to drive and never have his first legal pint in a pub. The hardest part was seeing his younger sister crying. Seeing anyone crying is hard but seeing a young girl who obviously loved and looked up to her brother cry was the hardest thing ever. It was said in the Tribute that he cared a lot for his sister.

It was also sad that the only time I ever saw the Church full was because of the death of a 17 year old boy. He obviously touched a lot of peoples hearts, you could tell by the amount of tears that were shed. I think it will be along time before Brendon is forgotten. I never met him but will always remember the sad day of his funeral. Brendon was a keen BMX biker who used to use the half pipes in the park up the road. Since the funeral i have been trying to get to know what he was like, there are plenty of pictures on Facebook and videos on YouTube, but they can only tell me what he did, not what he was like.

No parent should ever have to bury their child. We all hope that the when the phone rings it is not because your Son or daughter has been killed. For Mandy Smith that day came. For Mandy Smith it was her son that was killed, not in a War but because of an motorcycle accident. He was wearing a helmet but that did not save him from the car that did not see him and pulled out of a side road. No ones to blame for his death, it was just a tragic accident. It could have been anyone, but that day it was Brendon, a 17 year old boy.