SPECIAL PEOPLE on a SPECIAL MISSION.

I’ve said this many times, “After a tragedy, an even greater tragedy is failing to respond to the tragedy.”  You can take it from me, one who caused a tragedy; or you can take it from a family, who when facing great tragedy, responded with strength of purpose through the tragedy.  I am talking about Dr. and Mrs. Verea who oversee the Rebeka Verea Foundation, whose mission “say yes to life” has affected the lives of thousands of young people across the state of New Jersey.I’ve spoken of these inspiring people before, but in case you missed that blog, allow me to share a piece of their story.  Dr. & Mrs. Verea lost their beautiful daughter Rebeka on her graduation night, where Dr. Verea’s last sight of his daughter was her getting into a friends car upon his permission.  No harm in that scenario, as the driver was a friend of the family. However, this ride would cost Rebeka her life—but it would also be the catalyst for an entire new journey to save lives.In the grievous season after Rebeka’s death, the Verea’s desperately sought reconciliation from the young driver who was responsible for their daughter’s death. Sadly, he never apologized or “man’ed up,” as Dr. Verea stresses.  And with no remorse or seeking forgiveness for his fatal error, he left Dr. & Mrs. Verea with wounded hearts…none-the-less, hearts that continued to birth purpose out of their adversity. Thus, the Rebeka Verea Foundation. They used their personal experience to teach and empower students to be agents of life, not agitators of it.Yet here I am, the one who not only agitated life, but also was responsible for the death of it.  I could not change the consequences of my life from that day forward, but I could control the character of my life from that day forward. And I chose to seek forgiveness with remorse from my victim’s family and I continue to seek to honor him and his family with my voice.And so this is how our paths crossed and is yet another piece of Amazing Grace.  The Verea family has not only moved forward in spite of their hurt, but they have accredited me and my story as one of the factors that has helped them heal. So much so, that if you could only imagine (because I can’t) that Dr. Verea introduced me at their annual gala this past weekend with these words, “You are our hero.”No Dr. Verea. You, Sir, and your lovely wife are the heroes in this tragedy. You have both been an inspiration to many--that is both contagious and courageous. I do not deserve such honor, but rather I give it back to God fully and to you gratefully.  You have responded to tragedy with clarity and decoded it for your communities’ prosperity. You, Sir, and your wife are the true heroes.