Cooper Family

Interesting how death affects people. I knew Kiefer just a little. I watched him play soccer mostly.  I knew Traci and Keri were good friends with him. He was one of their best friends.  I cherish the time I drove the girls and Kiefer to the Taylor Swift concert and back.  After I dropped him off at home I said to Traci and Keri, "You didn't tell me he was like THAT!" They said, "Well yeah, mom.  That's Kiefer."  I was extremely impressed with him.  Wow.  Just wow.  So he's not just an excellent soccer player and hilarious but a wonderful person inside that teenage boy's body.  I also remember when he and some friends came and tp'd our house. They were having so much fun. I watched them from the window.  The girls tried to get them back a few weeks later but they got caught and his mom didn't think it was as funny as I did.

What I remember most about that day was getting the phone call that Traci is OK but Kiefer may have drowned. I thought to myself "No, he'll be okay."  As I drove to the lake, I wouldn't let myself believe that it could be true.  I hadn't heard the story of how they couldn't control the canoe in the strong winds or how they had to swim 300 feet in 50 degree water. I didn't know he had jeans and shoes on.  I still didn't grasp the severity of the situation when I sat next to Traci in the grass, looking at the lake and watching only one boat search for him. As the day went on more and more people came to the lake to wait and watch. Terry drove up.  Robert came.  My dad and Georgia came then left to go get Keri.  How I wanted to shelter Keri from the news. I knew she'd be devastated.  Matt and my dad convinced me to tell her because it was going to get on facebook and she'd know then.  Dad and Georgia went to get her from Jason's Deli where she was with friends.  She still won't go back in Jason's.

 I guess it started to hit me when darkness set in and everyone started to go home.  Even when Robert and I both ended up in the same place on the shore that was in the direction of the waves, yelling his name and looking for any sign of him. I prayed and prayed that we would find him on the beach, just hurt and not able to call out.  Then the next Sunday everyone came back again to hold vigil.  It was Spring Break that week so many of Kiefer's friends were home from college. Hundreds of people He was finally found on Wednesday. So so devastating but at the same time grateful that he was no longer under water.  I found out he was found first because Sissy's son is a Garland police officer and he had heard it over the police radio.  The rest of the week I didn't know what to do with myself. How could I go on with my life when Terry was grieving her son.

The canoe accident affected Bree too.  She knew Kiefer's older brother from tennis in high school.  I didn't know for several months how Bree still feels sick that it could have been Traci.  I think that too but I feel guilty that Traci is alive but Kiefer isn't.  Why did Heavenly Father protect and not Kiefer?  I don't want it to be Kiefer, either!  OR CHRIS!!!  He had spent the night with Kiefer the night before!  They made the plans to take the canoe to the lake and called and invited Traci.  They both had their bibles with them.  They were all going to read the bible on the lake.  Other kids?  They may have gone out to the lake to make trouble, do drugs, drink, have sex? BUT NO!  These kids were out to read the bible.  Those bibles are now on the bottom of the lake. And I have no doubt where Kiefer is now.