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Jeanne Pepper

ByJeanne Pepper, Jeanne Pepper

Opinion

My son was killed. I seek no revenge

Six months ago, university student Blaze Bernstein was killed in a California park. His mother reflects on his legacy.

June 8, 2018 10:02
Blaze Bernstein (Photo: Blazebernstein.org)
2 min read

In America, we celebrated Mother’s Day last month for the first time in twenty years without my son Blaze Bernstein with us.

Yes, I am sad and devastated. To lose a child to violence and horror could certainly make us cynical people, looking at the world through the lens of bitterness and contempt.

But I learned from this nightmare that how I react to what happened to our family and my son is my choice. I can choose life, or I can choose something much less.

I know now that it doesn’t have to be the last good chapter in the story of my life: it can be the impetus for the greatest acts of kindness that people can perform.