It is every mother's nightmare. High school sweethearts, Kevin and Cheli, married young. They had three beautiful sons, Cody, Cory, and Caleb. When Kevin and Cheli began to grow apart, Kevin became increasingly abusive toward her. Cheli suffered in silence to protect her boys, but when Kevin starting abusing them as well, Cheli fled with her sons and filed for divorce.
Soon after, the boys had to spend a weekend away with Kevin. That night, Cheli received a call from her ex-husband. Kevin told her over the phone that he had taken a shotgun and killed Cody, Cory, and Caleb as they slept. Then, over the phone, Cheli heard the sound of a gunshot. Kevin killed himself. Cheli would never be the same again.
The grieving mother appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show to share her story of coping with the unthinkable.
"I always did everything for the boys so I have to continue my life for them. Every day I get up, I get up for them. I am just reminded every day that we are never guaranteed a tomorrow so I embrace every day that God gives me," Cheli said.
Oprah gifted Cheli the brief reprise she needed with a European vacation. Soon after, Cheli revealed good news of her own. She had gotten married again. Cheli married her best friend, Bryan, a man who had always been there for her boys, who had been the kind of father figure they were without. Cheli and Bryan had two kids together, a son and daughter who do their best to honor the three brothers they will never meet. Cheli continues to speak at local churches and schools, she hopes to use her tragic story to inspire good, and documents her journey on her blog, My Life as a Comma.
Cheli will never get to see her boys again, it is a void that cannot be filled, but her journey shows us all that in times of tragedy, all we can do is keep going to honor those we have lost.
Please SHARE Cheli's story to inspire those you care about to keep going forward.
