In Memory

It's been 4 years now. Four years and what seems like ages ago and yet I can still remember the details of the day like it was yesterday.

We were woken up by the phone ringing in the dorm room. It was nearly spring break and I remember being frustrated that someone would call so early to wake us up. Looking back now I wish I hadn't been. "Why would someone call this early, they should know we're still in bed."

We groggily turned on the TV in disbelief. It didn't matter which channel you turned to, it was all about the accident. Of course, our immediate thoughts went to the members of the team. Who was hurt? Was anyone seriously injured; heaven forbid someone had been killed? We strained to watch the same reports over and over again, searching for faces we recognized and wondering how badly they had been injured.

Of course, my memory is not dissimilar from most everyone else, and I know it was hard for those closest to the seven individuals that passed away; not right, not fair. At least we can be thankful that the majority of the individuals on the bus are able to say they survived, however scarred their bodies or memories be.

Having just gone through Atlanta I watched as the HOV lanes break off and other lanes are the left side off ramps. You can't help but think about the Why's and What if's.

What made the whole thing more surreal at the time was the coverage about this little school. Everyone knew about Bluffton. Of course, time heals the wounds and people forget or they've never heard of it at all. And being that this is the fourth anniversary this is the first group of students that were not present to relate best to the accident. To them, perhaps, the memorial are just a grouping of hand prints in concrete. For those of us that witnessed it to the greatest extent, those hands represent much more, they are the living reminders of life and the value of living. Those hands represent lessons we learn and the impact one event can have on our lives in different ways.

And so as the years roll by I'll continue to keep my box of trinkets, newspaper and magazine clippings with me about the accident, about the players, about Bluffton, so as not to forget that life is so very precious and Bluffton University [especially those in the accident] learned it a very profound way.

My prayers and thoughts rest especially with you today boys.