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| Jory, Darren, & Shanon |
Because our sons are all 5 years apart, I always say that Sam and
I have 3 only children. Each has a totally different
personality, along with special strengths and soft spots. One common trait is that they rarely
approach anything in a traditional way.
We encouraged them to think out of the box and be true to
themselves. We cultivated positive
self-images while supporting divergent thinking; doing what was right,
especially when it was not conventional or popular; and reaching out to help
others along the way. Each carved his
own path, which often made life “very interesting.” We have been very close to each of our sons and the brothers
were trusted confidants and support systems to each other, as well.
Jory was the middle child and a free spirit from birth. He confided in us and told us
everything . . . we'll, almost everything except his passwords, but that's a future story. We knew that he was very bright,
creative, and talented, but we didn't know that others recognized those
attributes in him, as well. We
also knew that he was kind, caring, romantic, and thoughtful, with lots of
friends and acquaintances. We
didn't know that he was a celebrity or a sound legend, and I don't think he
knew it either.
Losing a child is every mother’s nightmare. Trying to deal with that loss is
indescribable. First, we were in
shock, then we were hopeful, and ultimately we came to realize that we were
helpless. Jory's friends from all
over the world burst forth to surround us with love, support, and
strength. We are indebted to
them.
Hungry for information and craving answers, Jory's friends were
hurting right alongside us. There
were tons of questions and offers of help, but most touching to our hearts were
the thousands of stories and shared experiences that appeared on social media. Those stories opened our eyes to events
that we weren’t there to see and feelings that we hadn’t yet felt. Many questions about Jory and what made
him tick have remained unanswered.
As his Mom, I was thrust right into the middle of social media as
the spokesperson and liaison between our small family and Jory's huge
world. This blog is intended to
answer many of those questions as well as give strength and support to others
who are dealing with similar issues, such as raising brilliant, creative, free
spirited, or one of a kind kids. I
don't have the answers, but I’ll share our experiences through random short
stories. It’s my gift to you, those
who loved and admired Jory.
Together, we'll keep Jory's memory alive while reaching out to each
other and continuing all the good that he began.
© 2017 Leslye J. Prum. All Rights Reserved.
