Amazed...

So here I am at 2:00 in the morning thinking I really should go to bed. But need to write about my evening while it is still fresh.

Last weekend there was a terrible accident involving the American Fork Marching Band. While coming home from a competition, a bus carrying many students and a teacher crashed. The teacher was Heather Christensen, a woman I have never met. But I look up to her in so many ways. She was on the bus that night because she felt she needed to be. She is a HERO! She stepped in where she was needed and in the process lost her own life. She loved those kids on that bus and did all within her power to keep them safe. She had a passion and followed it! She loved music and her students and left this life having just come from a competition where her kids had swept every caption! Taking home the first place trophy and starting the season off on the right foot! She was loved by her students and they knew she loved them. I think it is so amazing the lives this woman impacted. And will continue to impact as the story of her bravery is still being told.

Tonight was the first Competition since the accident. I was able to go down to BYU tonight and watch. There was somewhat of a somber mood draped over the stadium. I guess that is to be expected. I went to cheer on our Local bands, Sky View, and Mountain Crest. But there was a part of me that wanted to be there to see the American Fork students rise above the tragedy and make their teacher and friend proud.

Going in I had no idea the amount of support that was filling that stadium. There were so many red ribbons pined to shoulders. Coupled with enough red to make you question if the 4th of July was just around the corner.

We were seated next to a very large group of the AF student body. There were kids there from every walk of life. There were your jocks, cheerleaders, leadership, and just your average Joe. I dare say most had NO IDEA what was going on. But they were there to show support. They cheered for EVERY band that played. When AF was ready to take the field this group of kids started to sing the school song. They cheered their little hearts out during the show! They often waited until the rest of the crowd was cheering and would then join in! As if it was their cue that something awesome had just happened! So maybe they had no idea what was going on. Who cares, they were there to show support to their friends during this hard time. Marching Band has somewhat of a bad wrap. Being the weird band geek is not a cool thing outside the band room. I just loved how none of that mattered tonight. They were simply being respected and SUPPORTED by the rest of the school! After the band was done and most of the tears were dried. The band left the field to the sweet sound of their fellow classmates singing "Be Still My Soul." Talk about chills and many more tears fell.

I was reminded tonight that there are so many good kids out there! They will stand up and be there for each other even when they may not see eye to eye, or even like the same things!

Life is good. I hope to keep the reminder I was given tonight with me for a really long time. Life is to short to not help those around us!