Zach and i were at Virginia Tech three nights ago for a TWLOHA event. It’s hard to find the words to explain what the night meant to us. Early in my talk, i paused and confessed that i didn’t know what to say. We get a lot of opportunities to talk about the elephants in the room, but we usually can’t see them from the stage – we don’t know exactly what they look like. How do you talk about pain among people who have tasted it in a way you can’t imagine? How do you talk about pain when theirs was watched by the entire world?
We stood at Norris Hall and you cannot help but imagine the terror that took place there two years ago today. It is one thing to see the story on CNN, to read an article online. It is another thing entirely to walk the stunning campus, to see the flowers and the names, to see the portraits on the walls and to hear things like “I sat next to him in English” and “I had the chance to meet her mother.”
Beyond the pain, we heard incredible stories of good and pictures of community. Students crying alone were met by the embrace of other students – strangers coming together to hurt and heal together. The residents of Blacksburg showed up to serve free food on Drill Field. With incredible understanding and grace, after ten days without classes, the school told their students that they could return to classes or not. If they chose to go to class, they could complete whatever assignments they wanted to. If their grades were good, they could choose to keep them. If their grades were poor, they wouldn’t count. Dave Matthews showed up to play for free. So did John Mayer.
It’s been two years. Time heals some things but it can’t forget. There are fresh flowers at the memorial near Norris Hall, and i couldn’t help but imagine the stories of the people who left them. A mother’s whispered words as she placed the flowers by a name she chose for a daughter now gone. A best friend still aching after seven hundred days.
Today we join them in remembering. Prayers for families forever recovering. Prayers for students trying to believe that it’s possible to feel safe again. We remember the people who died and we acknowledge that every one of them had a story. We pause to stand with the people of Virginia Tech today. We say they’re not alone and we celebrate their grace and strength.
Peace to you.
jamie