I'd like to talk a little bit about Max, the infamous Maximus. Parker and Max, Max and Parker. They were best buds since preschool. They were Frick and Frack. Max is eccentric, passionate, clever, charismatic and absolutely loved Parker. They got each other. You could find them together out on the football or LAX field, at our house in the front yard with all of the sports equipment from the garage out on the lawn, or at Max's, Parker's FAVORITE place to be. There they have the ultimate back yard. Max also had two older, very cool brothers as well as an older sister and awesome parent's. When they weren't busy with sports, they would play video games and make YouTube videos. In the summer they would go to the beach, go tubing on Pop's boat or swim in Max's pool.
I am not sure how a 9 year old processes losing his best friend. Kids aren't supposed to know such things. They know what it's like to lose a grandparent or older family member. Not their best friend. Not when they are in 4th grade. Not when he was supposed to be OK. Not when he was going to get through chemo and kick cancer's butt. It's all too much. And for Max and all of his friends, my heart breaks for you. My heart breaks for the families that had to sit their kids down and tell them that Parker didn't make it. That they would never see him again. That they are all still processing grief and in ways that are unpredictable. That no one, even adults, know how to help. I, myself, am walking blind with my daughter. Asking myself every day "Is she going to be OK?", "will this totally f*ck her up in the future?", "will she be OK as an adult?". I don't know the answers to any of this. You just hope that what you ARE doing is right. That you are talking to them if they need to talk, that they are able to cry when they need to cry and be angry when they need to be angry. I pray every day for the the innocent souls that called Parker "friend". Max, I think of you every day. I know Parker is watching over you, he knows how much you loved him, how much you miss him and how much you would like to see him just one more time. Life is incredibly short. Live it like it's your last day and love so much it physically hurts.