Rough Week

This has been a rough week.  I always try and be positive about things, uplifting even.  But this might be a week I want to forget.

On Monday, we learned of the tragic death of Brittany Johnson.  We knew Brittany well at our office.  She was often injured yet her smile and sunny disposition always came through.  We loved her. 

I remember once when we had to deliver the bad news about her latest injury, half the office cried along with her.  We all cry for her now.

I've got friends in Houston.  Oh, they are all OK but not everyone is.  And in the long run, the cost to lives, property, and the community will be beyond comprehension. 

But in that disaster comes human stories that affirm our belief in the goodness of man.  Unlike events of the previous week, people of all colors, backgrounds, and cultures worked together, helping each other make the best of a bad situation. 

I saw a video of a line of pickup trucks all pulling boats headed for Houston.  I doubt any of those good ol' boys checked ethnicity or gender before offering a helping hand. 

Then on Wednesday, the news of the death of Lucas Jones was released.  Lucas had been courageously battling Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a particularly vicious and deadly form of childhood cancer. 

Last year, the local bicycling community came together and did a benefit ride for Lucas.  The turnout was awesome and the money donated exceeded our wildest expectations.  People that didn't know Lucas came out and gave freely of their time and money.  I know for a fact that the motorcycle community does that sort of thing all the time.

Still, so much has to be done.  Most of the money supporting pediatric cancer research comes from the government and the government is currently considering yet another cut in the money they allot for pediatric cancer research. 

That's a tragedy that approaches the heartbreak of Lucas' life, too soon snuffed out.  Is that what we send people to Washington to do?

Yet, life goes on.  It must.  I know in every part of my heart that we are put here to love others, to serve others.  So we must pick ourselves up, shake ourselves off, and get back on that path.

 At times like this, we need as much normalcy in our lives as we can get.  Our games can be an important part of that.  We need to be able to enjoy our sports, whether as participants or as spectators. 

When Bill Crisp died, I needed to get back on my bike.  For me.  For Bill.  I needed to ride to begin the healing process that started when Bill was injured in a bicycle wreck.

This week, Major League Baseball teams reached out to the Houston Astros, offering them their stadiums for play.  Offering schedule swaps to help them get through the season.

And JJ Watts of the Texans at last word had raised $5 million for relief efforts.  By himself.  And then was seen wading through the streets of Houston carrying children to safety. 

I don't mean to be all dark and dreary.  It is necessary to look to the light, to survive, to live on.   So I'm going to focus on Brittany's smile, on people coming together to help those flood victims, on the hope in the search for a cure for pediatric cancer. 

And knowing that the sun will come up tomorrow, I choose to live on.