Healing

So, I had a date slip past me this year without even thinking about it. I thought about it a couple of weeks BEFORE the date of the event, but I didn't even think of it on the day or after, until last week.

If you have read my blog a while or know me, you know the school I teach at was nearly defined by a single event about three years ago. A student, a 4 star football recruit, was killed in an 'incident.' I don't know for sure what happened and I am not sure anyone else does, either. It nearly ruined us. It devastated the school and divided the community. We had CNN calling the school. We were on local news, cable news, and media websites.

At any rate, the day of his death passed without incident this year. That was the first time that has happened.  It doesn't mean we don't miss him. It doesn't mean we don't think about him. This group of 12th graders were freshmen when it happened, so hopefully we can all continue to heal. I know I was forever changed by the events of that day. December 10, 2008. I think about the last time I talked with him, even though I didn't know him well. We talked about orchids. Yes, orchids - the flower. He was doing a research paper on them. I know the kids still think about him. Periodically, a kid will show me a picture of him on their phone and ask if I wonder what he'd be doing these days.

This is what I do think about though. The next time I or anyone else insult a football player who we do NOT know personally, think about this idea. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow. We don't EVER know when there might be an ordinary accident or a bizarre, unexplained accident. We don't know about health. I am glad I have peace in my heart that the last thoughts I had on Friday afternoon were about BJ and his strange research paper on orchids. I am glad I didn't have a conversation on the way home that day that, 'wow, this kid is _________'. It is SO easy to throw thoughts out on social media that insult and assault the character of a person that we don't know at all. My wish for the memory of BJ is that we would all take 2 seconds before words flow out of out mouths that insult a group of fans, a player (you know, because what the media says about someone is ALWAYS true), or anyone else for that matter-and consider that there might not be a tomorrow or another hour.

Healing, however slowly, is finally coming to our sweet community. We've been waiting for you.

And BJ, I sure do wish you'd gotten the opportunity to be a part of the 2010 AU football team. Every time I think of you, I think of 'team day' with your entire Auburn PJ outfit.