My heart broke with the very first line. Families, and the way they interact are so complicated . . . we are all, parents and children alike, trying to grow up at the same time. So often unprepared to know how to respond to events we never expected to encounter, could not even imagine in our wildest imaginations.

As a member of the Christian bereaved support group for parents, While We’re Waiting, I’ve encountered families who are deeply grieving the death of a child who struggled with addition. This post, struck a cord within, for a number of reasons, including the elements of faith and adiction. For example this line:

“. . . I finally saw my brother that day in my aunt’s house, a year and three months after his overdose, when he said, “I’m a sin, sis. The bible says I’m a sin,” I finally understood his addiction, and I knew I couldn’t leave him again. My mind goes to an article I read a while back, “Five Unexpected Things I Learned from Being a Heroin Addict”: “If you know someone who’s using or has used, you should know that this isn’t as simple as them making bad decisions. They’re running from something that, to them, seems a whole lot scarier than a needle.”

The idea that this man believed the Bible called him a sin. We are all sinners and maybe it’s a minute distinction but none of us are sin itself. No where does the Bible say that! My heart breaks for this man who seemed unaware that Christ was the answer for his sin. That he need not have carried this condemnation.

And then, the very last paragraph . . .

“He died on June 24th, 2013, but I will never stop saying his name: Juan Carlos Moncada. And, I will never stop telling our stories. My grandchildren will know about him, and their grandchildren will know him. They will know him as my daughter calls him, “Tio Tio”; my Superman, the man who taught me about me about love and heartbreak and the costs of silence.”

The costs of silence. Oh, to know when to speak and when to hold counsel!

**Strong language warning.

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