Amber Smith is calling out the people who sent "hurtful" messages following the death of her son River.
On Tuesday, Aug. 24, Amber, who recently welcomed a baby boy, wrote on her Instagram Story that she and husband Granger Smith frequently receive hateful messages from social media users. "I never like to give these people more attention than they deserve, but it's just a reminder that we live in a dark world," she explained, "where people judge one another, and say the most hurtful, cruel things."
She added, "Please think before you type or speak your opinion."
Amber included screenshots of the messages she recently received, including one that read, "If only the 3rd was still here only if you guy's would have watched him better around the pool he probably would still be here. Poor River. [sic]"
Another said, "I know you will never see this but I just wanted to reach out and say a few things[.] First thing is I don't really know your or your family so I can't judge nor is it my business but how could you ever just lose a kid and replace him and be fine with it you seem so happy and it seemed like it was so easy for you to have another kid."
Two years ago, Amber and Granger's 3-year-old son died in a drowning accident at their Texas home. The couple previously told Today that the pool was enclosed by a gate, but River somehow slipped into the water without them noticing.
"I was 20 feet away," Granger remembered. "I was playing gymnastics with my daughter. He was outside of the locked gate with our other son. There wasn't music playing; there wasn't any kind of distractions. It was just a quiet, 7 p.m. summer evening. It was so silent. There wasn't a splash; there wasn't any kind of call for help. I just saw him. I turned around, and I saw him."
Since then, Amber and Granger have done their best to honor River. Most recently, they paid homage to the late 3-year-old by naming their newborn son Maverick Beckham Smith, a name that is tied to River in numerous ways. According to the country singer, "'Ham' means home and 'Beck' means creek or stream or river."
At the time of Maverick's birth, Amber admitted to having mixed feelings concerning her pregnancy. "I truly didn't know how my emotions would be welcoming Maverick into the world. The journey we've been on, the anticipation, the grief, guilt and and joy was all swirling around in my heart," she wrote on Instagram. "I was honestly scared of how I would feel, but the main emotion and feeling I have is peace. Full peace. I'm so full of gratitude for his life and the blessing he is to our family."
As upsetting as the comments are, Amber kept her head held high, posting a video of herself dancing with Maverick. She captioned the clip, "We worship away the dark and dance into the light."