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Friday, October 17th, would have been Evan Boettler's 18th birthday. This year should have been his senior year. We should be talking about a senior trip, graduation plans and college. I should be teasing him about calling my friend "Chainsaw Patty" or making him listen to one of my ghost stories as we get closer to Halloween.

His life was tragically stolen from us on January 3, 2024--when a certain kind of evil orchestrated an extortion attempt on a boy who had only had access to social media a few months.

I'm not sure the anger or grief will ever subside; but my hope is that we can become better-equipped as we navigate a future without him. We can join the efforts of his friends and family to educate and advocate about the dangers of social media and the dangers that lurk in the cyber world. 

I don't run from the trauma or tragedy anymore. I have learned to welcome them in to sit side by side with me, while I wrestle with things like purpose, sadness, depression and loss. I want to use his story to give hope to others and maybe find a way to navigate through the valleys as we spend time together and enjoy the things Evan loved.

I think we can continue to find ways to celebrate the lessons he taught us in his 16 years with us. I hope to honor his memory by treating others with the same grace and love that he showed me. 

I praise the efforts of Brad, Kari, Sikenan and the rest of the Boettler family and their friends as they move forward to help others through Evan's Voice. 

The Poker Run is this coming Saturday at Hungry Hollow. I hope you'll join us there--rain or shine.