But of all the things Sandy is and does, I cannot let this National Best Friend day go by without telling you about Sandy’s grace and strength in the face of unspeakable tragedy.

Sandy’s first born son, Garrett, died when he was just sixteen. So full of potential and promise, Garret died from meningococcal meningitis on December 19, 1993.

Garret’s death was as cruel as it was sudden and to say it turned sandy’s whole world upside down would be a gross understatement. 

I had seen people grieve before. I had dealt with the death of several loved ones myself by that time, but I had never experienced or seen anything like the paralyzing grief that took over the entire Peckinpah family. Though I was concerned for all of them, Sandy was my primary focus that first year after Garret’s death.I was with her daily, feeding, comforting, helping Sandy dress for the memorial service, wrapping Christmas presents for Sandy’s three surviving children, Trevor, Julianne and Jackson, (unspeakably heartbreaking). 

I watched, first hand, as Sandy, determined to be there for her three traumatized children, began taking baby steps toward healing. Teeny, teeny steps at first but still Sandy was healing. 

I watched, first hand as this woman rose from the ashes of that unfathomable grief and managed to continue to be there for her children. My idolatry of her mothering grew exponentially. I was then and still am amazed by her strength.