October 19, 2025 — Episode #92
Content note: this episode discusses teen suicide, fatal accidents, and the grief of losing a child.
Jerry and Becky Drace close out their long-running series on the characteristics of the teenage years with a sobering final thought: the choices made — and sometimes the accidents that happen — during adolescence can determine how long a life lasts.
They open with current statistics on teen suicide, noting that 16 to 17 percent of teenagers seriously consider taking their own lives, and connect the despair many teens feel to too much unsupervised time online and too little parental involvement. From there they share two contrasting stories: a family who lost both of their sons in one night to a drunk-driving crash, and the accidental death of one of their grandson’s friends in a single-car wreck, making the point that tragedy doesn’t always follow a bad decision. They also mention a young public figure who committed his life to his faith as a teenager and was later killed as a young adult, having still left a lasting impact in a short life. The back half of the show turns to grief: the value of a friend who simply sits with you, grief-recovery groups, journaling through hard emotions, and the danger of marriages fracturing after the loss of a child. Becky and Jerry close with a theological reflection on God’s foreknowledge and Job’s declaration, “I know that my Redeemer lives.”
Topics discussed:
- Teen suicide statistics and warning signs
- Why parents should limit unsupervised internet and cell-phone time
- A family’s grief after losing two sons in a drunk-driving accident
- Accidental death versus death from poor decisions
- The “long leash” approach to letting teens make some of their own choices
- Grief recovery resources and journaling as a coping tool
- How churches and grandparents can support grieving families
- Finding peace with unanswered “why” questions after a loss
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