A family hike in New Hampshire turned tragic last week when a 10-year-old boy slipped into the Pemigewasset River in the White Mountain National Forest. His mother, 44-year-old Melissa Bagley died trying to save him.
A kayaker’s rescue of a 6-year-old boy is going viral after the boy was found alone, being pulled by the current on the St. Louis River in Minnesota. David Jones Jr. is being hailed a hero after saving the little boy whose father left him abandoned in the river's cold water.
One mother, Joann Bogard, knows these dangers all too well and has made it her mission to protect other children from the same fate as her son, Mason, who tragically died in viral "Blackout Challenge."
"I don’t remember how sometimes you got angry or cried or had to walk out of the room to take a breath. I don’t remember a schedule, a checklist or any expectations other than just you."
"I will always hold onto the memories. Of the little girl who wore the little clothes. The one who laughed and cried without abandon. The one who never hesitated to wrap her arms around my waist. I will always hold onto that little girl, even when there’s a big girl wrapped in my embrace."
My girl is now the one leaving. And it’s been years since little toes lined up where I now stand, the small fingers that clung to lovies to comfort them as I left.
I’ve watched parents go crazy with enthusiasm when a kid does well. I’ve also seen them go stone cold silent when things take a turn for the worse. That silence speaks volumes into the heart of a child. As a result, kids grow up desperately chasing applause, and that usually gets twisted into a fragile, warped sense of self-worth.
