Category Archives: Love. Family. Feelings.

Dearest DaShand,

It’s been over 14 years since you left us, yet the pain stings like it was yesterday. You left a void as wide as Lake Michigan and as tall as Sears Tower. Can you believe they call it Willis Tower now? So many things have changed since you’ve been gone.

We had our first Black president and he was from Chicago; Oprah moved her operation to Los Angeles, and the Chicago Cubs finally broke the Curse of the Billy Goat. You would have known all of the significant stats from their previous World Series win even though it was more than 100 years ago. We miss the way sports stats effortlessly rolled off your tongue. We didn’t need ESPN; we had you.

We miss hearing your beautiful voice and seeing a smile that lit up the entire Universe. We miss creating memories with you. We miss you. We miss you…

Perhaps the most painful part of missing you doesn’t lie in the “What was”, but rather, the “What would have been.”

We miss watching you march across the stage as you accept your college diploma. Would you have stopped after your Bachelor’s Degree or would we be calling you Dr. DaShand Ray by now?

We miss standing along side you as we build a successful family business, thus leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come. We miss holding your precious babies in our arms and spoiling them rotten as proud grandparents do. Would they look just like you?

We miss working with you in the community as we enrich the minds and lives of young boys and girls as we do with your oldest brother. We do so in your honor. You’d be proud.

We have no doubt that you would have continued on a path of greatness. You would have stumbled along the way, because to err is human. But no matter how many times you would have fallen you would have gotten right back up. And, you would have gone on to do some remarkable things.

The “What ifs” and “What would have beens” ignite a pain that rips the heart and pierces the soul. The E2 tragedy took you, our sweet baby boy, but it also dashed your gigantic dreams and limitless possibilities.

Your being is as vivid in our minds now as it was the day you entered into this world. And we will continue to fight for your dreams as long as we have breath.

We love you,

Mom & Dad