Many different times I have said that I would give anything to have Reed back, but I wouldn’t give away any of the friendships that have been forged or solidified since his death.  Those type of friendships exist for my children as well.  Some of these friendships have their roots grounded in a commonality of loss.  Sometimes the bonds come from both having connections with Reed, and other times it comes from the shared pain of losing someone close to them.

My kids have bonds with their peers from Faith’s Lodge that will last lifetimes.  And the same goes for a friend of Erin’s.  They were friends before the loss of his grandmother (a dear friend of our family), but they became closer friends after that.  We all knew each other fairly well, but they spent quite a few times just hanging out after her passing.  I believe pain knows pain, and suffering knows suffering.  But healing and refuge also know how to find safe sanctuary.  A safe place to grieve is always a welcome respite.

A by-product of the times they hung out was the discovery that this same friend, Ethon, owns and operates a business with his dad.  During one of o ur visits, he thought it would be a good idea to “pep” things up a bit at Reed’s Run, and he was the man to do it. He was right. As with many of the great ideas at Reed’s Run, we are glad we listened to the kids’ input.   With E&B’s DJ productions, the atmosphere at last year’s Reed’s Run was better than it had ever been.  Again, a friend sees a need and steps up, which is exactly what he did.

Ethon kept the “beat” pumping and by doing so, he kept all of us at the fairgrounds upbeat.  I think it is pretty amazing that through loss, the rhythm of friendship may change patterns, from quiet chimes to a crescendo of tympani, but always it is there keeping a steady beat of love.

We are happy to announce that the beat will continue to go on at this year’s Reed’s Run!