Thanks for all of your responses. It's sort of hitting me finally, at first it was just words. "Bill" wasn't just an acquaintance. His mom and my mom were in the hospital together. We were two weeks apart, and celebrated a joint first birthday. All through elementary school, we spent pretty much every afternoon together, even in the summers. We traipsed through the woods, rode bikes together, spent afternoons in our basements building forts, and slept over at one anothers' houses long past when boys and girls usually stop this (though we were solely platonic friends).

The two friends with whom I wanted to share the information were not just random semi-acquaintances of his either. Throughout upper elementary school and junior high school, the four of us were more or less best friends. Everyone has had various issues and life paths and we haven't all stayed in touch as adults... but we were not just random classmates.

Bill's sister posted a message on his page and hers (I'm also friends with her) with a non-specific announcement of his death. I forwarded this to my two friends with a personal message and an offer to connect them with his parents if they wanted. I think it worked out alright. I just talked to one of them on the phone and he appreciated being told.

Indulge me:

1. Don't use drugs. Really, don't. Not worth it.
2. Love your friends and relatives who use drugs, and tell them so.
3. If you are ever tempted to feel dissatisfied with your life and your accomplishments (as I often am), PLEASE think about how very lucky you are to be able to go outside and feel the sunshine on your face, and talk to your loved ones, and all of the other things you can do that many other people can't. We take our lives and our luck for granted far too often.