GRANGER SMITH and his wife Amber released a video tribute to their late son, River Kelly, who died in a drowning accident at their home a couple of weeks ago. It's 27 minutes long and it starts with them talking to the camera.
They open up about what they've been through, they thank the people who've reached out, and they talk about how they plan to move forward. It ends with a home movie featuring photos and clips of River doing all the things that little kids do.
During the first part Granger says the platform he and Amber stand for is, quote, "Love those close to you, soak up those moments, live for today, live in the present, because we're not guaranteed tomorrow."
He adds, "We're gonna search for every bit of good we can find in this situation, the worst situation that we've been through, and we're going to constantly search for ways that good will come out of this, and that's my commitment to River's legacy."
He goes on to say the reason they're doing the video is because they're committed to each other, their family, and their faith. Quote, "We've gotten so close, and we're going to constantly search for the meaning behind this.
"[We'll] find the meaning and the good in this and the way to spread this message and to spread this legacy, and he'll always be in our hearts."
He also talks about what happened on that awful day. He was in the yard "playing gymnastics" with their seven-year-old daughter London. River and his five-year-old brother Lincoln were "playing water gun fight."
Quote, "I remember looking at London and thinking, 'Soak up this moment because it's not going to last forever.' Somewhere between 30 seconds and three minutes, we don't know, Amber and I are inside our pool gate doing CPR on our son."
(You'll need a box of tissues when you watch the home video. It's heartbreaking. It starts at 9:30 with River riding a mini tractor, and when he's done you hear his infectious laugh. It's followed by photos and more clips.)