Quote From: ascanbe19My heart goes out to the mother who lost her son. My heart goes out to the parents of the girl who was convicted of the other childs death. As the girl has been processed by the judicial system - she has been judged, we do not need to keep judging her. She will live with this experience for the rest of her life. 
 
I lost a son fifteen years ago. I beat myself for his death over a six to seven year period. I was angry, and avoided people because I knew I I truely believed it was wrong he had been taken from me. I had two other children but, he was my youngest. The day of his death my mother told me, "remember, you have two other children who need you". A woman at work said to me a few weeks later that God took him from me to protect me. I became angered because children are innocent and should never die. In the end, I realized, none of us ever expect to lose a child.  
 
One day a friend who's life I dropped in and out of said , "Have you stopped beating yourself for his death, you know, it is time". The day I let go, a ton of weight was removed from shoulders. I look back at those years and now see how selfish I was. My sons soul could not rest because I was angry holding on to him trying to reason why it was not his time to go. Yes, I know he will never graduate high school or college, get married, give me grandbabies, but I have two other loving children who will do some, if not all, of these thing. These children were so strong during my selfish pain. To this day, they are the most giving people I have ever known. I wonder how I kept myself from making them angry people too.  
 
To both parents, don't allow the children you have at home to become filled with the anger and discontent you are feeling for you lost child. The children living in your home ought to be happy - they will have a life time to deal with anger and discontent as adults, don't encourage bitterness and keep your children beautiful for as long as you can. 
I believe that forgiveness is a wonderful thing. I'm very sorry for your loss and think that you did a great job explaining your situation. My heart goes out to you and your family as well as other families that have endured this same pain. I also believe that both families need to start the healing process and cannot dwell on what they cannot change. I have never lost a child, and hope I never have to, but I can understand the pain they must be going through. I don't think anyone should ever have to endure that pain. But, I'm a believer that everything happens for a reason and people can become stronger from things that have happened in the past. The family of Daniel should put their faith in God knowing that their son is in his hands now and taken care of. They cannot bring him back to life and should somehow come together and move forward just like Dr. Phil said on the show. I don't think by continuously pointing fingers at Brandi and her family is going to help matters any. This is only going to cause more family fued and neither families are going to ever truely be happy, or healthy. Daniel's family should start leaning on eachother for support and realize, like you had said, that there are other children in this family. My heart goes out to them.
Brandi was a young girl who obviously made some bad choices in her life. Who hasn't? Yes, she took a life and should serve some time in prison for it. The reason I say that is because our justice system cannot and should not make exceptions just because people don't agree. Our justice system has to remain strong or other people who may be guilty of more severe crimes will walk our streets. We have to have some kind of structure to hold our society together. Do I think that she can be rehabilitated and has learned from her mistakes, absolutely. I think it's time for her to be released. I know it sounds harsh, but I have to believe that our legal system is doing the right thing. I feel that Brandi's family should go through some kind of counseling and heal themselves as well. They have a daughter that is very much alive and needs their support in every way if they plan for her to lead a somewhat normal life when she is released.
Thank you ascanbe19 for sharing your story. You are a brave woman and I commend you for being so strong. I'm not sure I could be and hope I never have to be. Thanks again.