Jackie Griffith
Norman “Pooh” Griffith, Jr.
November 25, 1989 – September 27, 2008
“I had six children but I have 5 now. At the time we lived in Pahokee and Pooh was my baby boy. He was just 17 years old when he passed. It happened in Belle Glade.”
“It was the High School football homecoming game. Pahokee played Jupiter High School and won. Pooh was captain of the football team and as a talented linebacker he was recruited by many colleges.”
“After the game Pooh told me he wanted to go to the homecoming dance. I told him o.k. But be careful. It was fifteen minutes later when he pulled up to the parking lot and he was shot. The guys were trying to rob him for his gold chain. One person was let go since he was a juvenile and couldn’t be charged. The other got a life sentence, which has since been overturned because of the law that has been changed. Now Carl Booth “CJ” has twenty-five years. We used to go to the same church together and Pooh played football with CJ. He did the shooting as an initiation into a gang. Pooh had colleges after him and it is like a dream. They were to go to South Carolina the next week and the team was really broken up. They stood by me.”
“I coped with the loss because of my faith. “My advice to you is “THERE IS NOBODY BUT GOD! I HAD TO CATCH ONTO MY FAITH.”
After September 27th I couldn’t go to work. I stared drinking and smoking. I was tired all of the time. I began talking to God. God told me to read Psalm 139 and God said he knew Pooh and his destination before he was born.
“CJ’s parents lost a son too. I went to them and I asked them for forgiveness. God was the only thing that helped me survive. We are here for a short period of time. God gave me comfort and peace of mind and now I am a witness to others and God carried me through the grief with his Word. It is hard to forgive someone when you didn’t do anything wrong but it is a relief from the hatred and it is a burden lifted. I am lifted up and on a path that put the hurt away and I am strong for my children. I can do all things through Christ and I have dedicated my life back to God. My covenant is for my kids and they were watching my behavior to see how I was going to react to this tragic death. By obeying God I have protected the family. My baby girl had a hard time with his death and she never go over the loss. My daughter was shot in a car last October and her boyfriend was killed. The baby was in the car and is doing well. “
“I am a bus driver for the Palm Beach School district and I minister every day. One day when CJ gets out of prison I plan on witnessing with him our story and the power of God and of forgiveness.”