It's been a while....

It's amazing to me how fast time can fly! I realized this weekend that I haven't posted anything since the day after my back surgery, way back in July, and a lot has happened since then.

For me, it seems like the past few years have been riddled with tragedy for the high school I work at. Two years ago, our student body president from the previous year, was killed in a car accident while heading to Washington for a vacation with a friend. Last year, one of our students was killed in a car accident when the car she and her sister were in, malfunctioned. Tragedy struck again this school year.

This past Saturday, our Marching Band and Color Guard were returning from a competition in Pocatello, when the bus driver suddenly blacked out at the wheel. Heather Christensen, our woodwinds director and former AF band member herself, grabbed the wheel and attempted to steer the bus to safety and very literally saved the lives of many students on board the bus. The bus ended up rolling and Heather was killed. If she hadn't grabbed the wheel, the bus very likely would have either hit a large amount of lava rock or may have careened down an embankment, surely causing more injury to the students. She was and is a hero!

On Tuesday night, I had the privilege of attending the band's competition at BYU, just a short 3 days after the tragic accident. Our students, bruised and battered, physically as well as emotionally, performed their show with love and courage for Heather. The show is titled "The Greatest Generation" and was dedicated to our veterans, the heroes of our country, and to Heather, their hero.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=B64lTFtDgho

The posters in the back were large replicas of posters and photos from World War II--Rosie the Riverter, Uncle Sam, Iwo Jima etc. On the back of the posters, at the end of the show, they are turned around and there are pictures of veterans, relatives of actual band members, who served in the war. For this competition, they added Heather's picture to the photos. I love the picture they used because it is how I remember Heather....always smiling! It's a little hard to see in the video clip, but all of the color guard members start out as "Rosies" in kerchiefs and coveralls. I held it together until the end of the performance when the color guard changes into white outfits. They literally looked like angels and there was a peace and reverence that surrounded the entire stadium as they finished.

I have been amazed as I've watched my students this past week, waiting to give them support, encouragement, a listening ear and shoulder to cry on, and how many of them have shown me strength. They had courage to compete--to fight back their own emotions and pain--to "let the show go on." They have buoyed each other and have been resilient in a very, very tough time. In fact they have rallied.

I have also never been so impressed and touched with our state and country and the support people have shown. All of the bands in the competition Tuesday, wore black and red ribbons attached to their uniforms. Many bands that have competed against our school, across the country, have sent letters and posted on comment boards their sympathies. Wednesday night, at our football game against Brighton High, Brighton's captains presented the band with a huge bouquet of red and white carnations.

I hope the band can continue to feel Heather's love and example and the community support, especially tomorrow at her funeral. They have all been an inspiration to me.

www.deseretnews.com/article/705335926/American-Fork-band-bus-crashes.html

www.deseretnews.com/article/705336136/Vigils-honor-band-instructor.html

www.deseretnews.com/article/705336097/Band-teacher-is-praised.html