BE EXTRAORDINARY,
BE YOU!
The real harms and true dangers of today's highly potent Marijuana on our youth, our families and our communities.
Our son, Randy completed suicide shortly after sending us a message in the early hours of July 17th, 2021.
Sadly, his last text to us stated, “I love you and am sorry for everything. I love dad and the same to him. I wish I would have been a better person.”
“Yes, the truth is, I don’t wanna die an ordinary man...”
Music has always played a rich role in our lives. Consequently, Randy often sent us songs he liked and related to. This is a line from the song Ordinary Man, one he sent a few months before he died.
Randy did not die an "ordinary man." In fact, his whole life, he was extraordinary, but he didn’t know it. From the day he was born until the day he died, he was an independent individual, special and unique.
If only he could've had hope when he needed it most. (If only we knew then, what we know today. Maybe Randy could be sharing his story in person.)
Why "Be Extraordinary. Be You!"?
extraordinary /ek-struh-awr-dn-er-ee/
-
beyond what is usual, ordinary, regular, or established.
-
exceptional in character, amount, extent, degree, etc.; noteworthy; remarkable.
Each of us is created uniquely with special talents, gifts, and treasures that are meant to be shared with the world. No one is just like you. You are unique. You are extraordinary! But, you have to be an extraordinary person to embrace and just be yourself. We are prone to comparing ourselves with others and sometimes we want to be more like others than ourselves for many reasons. When we do compare, we always come up wanting.
It is important to remember that there is only one you. You are enough and you are loved. When we exercise self-love of our physical being, intellect, talents, emotions, and spirituality and just be our God-given selves, we are being extraordinary. Believe it or not, it is a lifelong process and journey to be extraordinary!
Instantaneous gratification and constant connectedness, help create a disconnect, and it is easy to lose sight of who you are and to feel good about who you are. Spend some time thinking about who you are, and decide whether or not you are living up to your best idea of who you are or should be—and work on it if you're not. Be true to your core identity rather than faking a different one, because you think it will be attractive to others.
Once you do that, you'll be ready to show that "you" to other people, and you'll do it in the spirit of honesty and authenticity. That is extraordinary!
A MISSION &
PURPOSE
Inform and educate parents, youth, and young adults on the harmful and damaging effects of Marijuana (THC) and on the developing brain. Provide tools and resources to help those in crisis.
Losing a child...
This is a club that no one wants to be a part of. The dues are far too costly. Although the loss is categorically real, it seems unreal, unacceptable, and unbelievable. It is out of natural order. The grief of losing a child is lonely, desolate, and isolating. The only people that can relate are other parents who have also lost a child. There are dark days of despair, hopelessness, and a desperate need to understand.
Once I explained to a group of women who were discussing loneliness. They were blessed in that all that came to mind for them was loneliness in the physical sense. That is one type of loneliness. The death of a child is a loneliness of relation. Feeling as if no one can understand your pain and loss. You feel and probably are unrelatable. It's as if you are sitting at the bottom of a deep dark well. Even though the light shines through at the top of the well and each day presents the opportunity to try and climb out of the well, your limbs are exhausted, heavy, and hopeless. You might make it up a wring, and then the waves of heavy unrelenting grief knock you down to the bottom again. No one else is there, and it is easy to feel like you are drowning in darkness.
Thankfully, through the prayers, love, and support of many, we have climbed up the rungs of the well and are living in the light and relating to others. We have continued to process our grief, and gained insight and understanding about what happened to our son.
We are now on a mission to prevent others from having to endure this pain or become members of this club.