United

(For those of you not from Ohio I'm talking about United Elementary/Jr. High/High School.)

The school built literally in the middle of four cornfields. By the time I graduated high school I loathed the whole building. I was so ready to be done with small town life and everyone knowing everything about everyone-or thinking they did anyhow. I still don't have any desire to move back, but I can appreciate its good qualities now. I received an excellent education from some very talented teachers. Teachers who influenced me to become a teacher myself.

I sought refuge in "Mom Peters" office during study halls and after school. Her office brought sanity to a world that had been really up heaved during my high school years. She also encouraged me to be my best at everything I do and to strive for excellence. I longed to visit her office earlier this week...still kinda do.

I'm not the only one who found refuge in Mom Peters office so I'm guessing her office has been or will be busy right now. You see tragedy struck United earlier this week. A student, Gavin Ward, died from an asthma attack after his Jr. High football practice. Gavin was the son of Mike and Denise Ward who happened to be teachers at United.

I was a student of Mr. Ward for a health class my sophomore year I do believe. Denise Ward was the adviser for flag line my first year and if memory serves me correctly she was pregnant with Gavin at the time. I was really kind of scared of her at first, but realized that she wasn't all that scary she just had high expectations of each and every one of us. My first year on flag line I was an alternate because the "judges" felt like I could do it, but they just didn't feel I was ready at the time of auditions. As an alternate I had to prove I could do the routine before I was allowed to perform it on the football field at half time. To prepare for this I would practice my routines in the yard on almost a daily basis. I happened to live on one of the "main" roads and so lots of people would drive by and see me in the yard with my bright yellow practice flag doing the routines over and over and over. (This was one of the first times I had ever had to "practice" anything. Most things came pretty easy to me.) Friends would always laugh and talk about how I was practicing in the yard. I loved being on flag line and was going to "prove" that I was good enough to perform. My practice paid off and I was able to perform in every show. I distinctly recall one show that involved a lot of rain so we performed on the track in mud puddles, the power went out during our show, and our routine involved ribbon streamers...we were a filthy mess afterward. I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to prove myself that first year and eventually my Junior and Senior year of high school I was the captain of the flag line. I also was Denise's student my senior year of high school for Honors English. She once again expected a lot from each and every one of us. She knew we were bright and talented and she wouldn't let us get away with any kind of slacking off. The influence Mike and Denise have had on so many classes of students is amazing. A Facebook page was started to show support for the Wards during this time of tragedy and there are currently 163 members and many of them are current and former students. If you look at their locations they are spread across the states...

Small town communities are a unique and interesting thing. They band together when tragedy strikes and even if you fought with the kid down the street you find yourself standing side by side supporting those closest to the tragedy when it happens. I know the upcoming school year will be especially difficult as the family and community works through the grief, but they will all be there supporting each other throughout. Nothing can replace Gavin for the Wards, but hopefully with the support of family, friends, the community, and many prayers they will get through the next few hours, days, weeks, and years together. The same way they faced the obstacles brought on with Denise's diagnosis of breast cancer a few years back.