This last week has been a traumatic one for the United States, particularly for Houston. Hurricane Harvey swept through the area flooding it in unprecedented amounts and currently has killed over 50 with hundreds more still missing. For those who survived the midsummer mansoon, years of hard work and toil remain if they are to rebuild what once was the proud city of Houston.
This past week was also difficult for a small boarding school located in central Illinois. It is called Notre Dame de La Salette Boys Academy. The school is 12 years old and has proudly graduated approximately 180-190 students. It is a small private high school, where students eat together, room together, and engage in each and every task not as a school but as a tight nit family. Students from a decade ago return as alumni and will engage in the joyful recollection of similar experiences throughout the unique expierience that was their high school education. This past week that small school lost one of its dearest sons, a young man by the name of Michael.
Michael was a jokester yet an incredible leader when he needed to be. He was incredibly strong and fit and when he joined the marines after his graduation in 2014 he achieved a perfect 600 points on his physical test, a rare and hard- earned score.
This past week Michael died. News has still not gotten out officially how. Rumors circulate through the alumni telephones. Some say he drowned. Others say he died of heat exhaustion. They agree that it happened during a special training exercise and that it happened overnight alone. Whatever the reason, Michael is gone.
I went to that high school. I knew Michael. He was a good friend. But he's gone.
How many people feel the same way in Houston right now? How many people have lost family or friends? Thousands I am sure. Many including myself seek an explanation. Here's mine.
This past week I see that the nation and myself have experienced terrible suffering. Where is the value in the death of these innocent people?
I believe the answer lies in the response of those left behind. How incredible are the efforts put together by athletes and famous people to bring quick aid to the people of Houston. J.J.Watt, for example, has raised millions for this purpose after making an initial donation of $100,000 himself. What is better are the stories of heroic first responders risking their lives day in and day out to rescue those who cannot rescue themselves. The coolest responses for me have been the heroics of ordinary people like you and me who stayed behind and used their knowledge, wits, and grit to rescue others like themselves. Nobody asked them to. It wasn't their job. But they did it anyway because their love for their neighbor was greater then any hurricane and flood this world has ever seen.
When Michael passed away it dawned on many of the alumni of my school just how out of touch they had grown with each other since graduation. Alumni talked to other alumni they had not spoken with in years. Personally, I had the opportunity to offer some words of consolation to Michaels girlfriend, whom I've never met in person. What I said was simple, it could have gotten lost in the hundreds of comments left on her instagram telling her how sorry they were for her. But she, brave women that she is, had taught me more about srength in adversity than anything I have ever seen. Troubling as a time she is going through, she refuses to be consoled but rather wishes to console those who loved him too!
What instances like this teach people are the preciousness and brevity of human life and how we must protect and cherish each and every moments with those whom we love. In a time like this when we all as students seem to focus on the future, I believe it might be a temptation to forget the moment, the people who are here now that we love. So take a second enjoy your moment, tell whoever you have to that you love them because you may never get the chance again. I love you Michael! We love you Houston!
I really liked how tender this was. I definitely saw the vulnerability, sorrow and suffering that you were trying to tell us about. Loss isn't something we think about everyday, and maybe we do need to keep it in mind more often. Thanks for reminding us. Overall, job well done!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry for your loss, Jacob. It's a tragedy. And yes, many are suffering similarly. It's a bit too easy to watch from afar, but writing to ensure our sensitivities are heightened seems important. Thank you for sharing. I agree with Ashna -- the tenderness in this post is very appealing.
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