In her view?

No. By law, her son killed someone. Had he lived, he would have faced criminal charges, possibly manslaughter or reckless endangerment at the very least.

Her choosing to celebrate her son’s life like he was some sort of saint and it was just a freak accident, parading around her grief, is a slap in the face to anyone who’s ever lost family, friends, classmates, and neighbors to a drunk driver.

If she wants to find meaning in his death, a better avenue would be working with programs like MADD, not grief theatre.

If someone works at a nursing home taking care of old people but then goes home and beats their spouses and kids, they’re not a saint. They shouldn’t be celebrated and lauded like those beatings didn’t happen.

I’m not saying the boy was evil because it wasn’t premeditated murder. But let’s not forget, he killed someone. The fact that he ended his own life while he was doing it or that it was unintentional does not negate that fact. He’s not a saint.

Remember him. Mourn him. But remember all of him, not just the parts that don’t make you feel shame. Mourn the pain he caused as well as the loss.

And she shouldn’t judge the other mother who lost her only child to her son’s recklessness. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. That mother is right to feel anger toward that boy. He stole her life. It doesn’t matter how promising his future was or how well liked he was or how he had so many friends… he stole her life.