PURGING THE GRIEF: A Father's Approach to Healing Following the Tragic Death of His Teenage Son

ON A QUIET SUNDAY MORNING

, 16½ year

old Jacob Hughes was returning to a BOY SCOUT camp

to fifi nish his youth leadership training. Less than 90 minutes

after leaving home, the car he was driving crossed the centerline

and crashed head-on into another sedan. Consequently,

he and the other driver died at the scene.

Is there anything on earth worse than witnessing your child’s

death? How about living each day and never knowing his

or her whereabouts? Jacob’s family never experienced the

latter. However, when the state trooper read the DEATH

NOTICE that Sunday morning, their lives were shaken to

the core. How long should parents grieve when the one

they loved died so tragically? His father wanted to die rather

than live another day with the insufferable truth.

Rather than bear the pain indefifi nitely, Douglas chose to

PURGE THE GRIEF by writing about it. In essence, he

looked at all the themes and events surrounding this tragedy

and put them into a reader-friendly narrative. He expanded

his thoughts to include many reflfl ections, stories which are

connected affectionately or historically in some manner.

By persevering through the psychological and emotional

storms, God gently strengthened his faith and restored unity

to his family.