Many years ago I lost my brother in a car accident. It devastated me and robbed me of hope as he
was estranged from me and the rest of my family and with him died the potential
for so many things. I think that is what
strikes me so much about the crash in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. I have so many memories in my life – some good,
some bad, and they all came from my LIVING as long as I have. If God was to take me home, as a Christian, I’m
ready to go. But these were young men –
and so much potential was there that will now never be.
I grew up in a country where hockey – even if you aren’t a
fan - touches you. We are bound together
by that sport. You should see us when a
Canadian team is in the playoffs for the Stanley Cup – we all cheer and wave
flags even if they are for a rival team we don’t normally cheer for. A piece of us rejoices with that team. But
the reverse is also true when a tragedy like this happens. So many lost their lives and we have yet again
pulled together to support the families that lost a loved one or had a loved
one injured in this accident as if they were our own. In a way they are.
They represent the young men on the hockey team in my hometown,
the players I went to school with, the ones from rival communities, the
professionals in the NHL, the support organizations and the fans who have
invested time and energy to promote this sport and not just in Canada. This could have happened in any community in Canada
or anywhere else in the world. We can
relate to these people that are central to this story. They are our neighbors and they are our friends
and therefore we will mourn with them.
Here are two links I would like to share:
They have far exceeded their goal but donations are still
coming in:
This one is for the main vigil held and aired on Sportsnet
