WASHINGTON —
Eight days ago, this community suffered a tragic loss. Our hearts were ripped apart as we heard the news of an accident which took the lives of two young men — both just 16 years old.
It was a tragedy felt by everyone locally. Classmates, teammates, members of DECA, Student Council, faculty, and even students from others schools have come together to grieve, offer condolences and pray for the families.
While Derek Arvin and Zach Blubaum only lived 16 years, their unnaturally shortened lives will be remembered for a long time.
It’s important for our community and each one who is grieving to remember you are not alone. We have each other to lean on, cry with and talk to. And, we have an Almighty God who has His arms open and full of compassion. Although it’s easy in times like this to ask “Why God?,” we must have faith to accept that He is in control of the universe. From the Bible, we know that He even knows of each sparrow in the sky, and God certainly has a much deeper care for His children.
Whether it is a family member or friend, most adults already know the agonizing journey that follows the loss of a loved one.
It’s especially hurtful for all of us as we witness many teenagers — friends of Arvin and Blubaum — going through this grieving process for the first time with no time to prepare.
There are those who are able to process loss quickly and move on with their lives; and there are those who take a lot longer. There are the grieved who find an outlet for their pain and sorrow, and some who will keep it inside until it becomes too much. Many will seek to learn from a tragedy and make their lives better, and there are some who may be consumed by the pain.
Let us surround these families and the friends of Derek and Zach with compassion and lift them up in prayer.
There will be dark days ahead — some days when the most unassuming item or event will trigger that loss. Some days it make seem like everything triggers memories.
If you are overcome with grief, remember help is out there. Whether it is from a friend, teacher, parent or pastor, there are many ready to listen. We all grieve together, and we must be there for one another.
The community can draw inspiration from the strength of these young men — their dynamic personalities, smiles, good nature, and examples of leadership should be patterned after.
Like the recent untimely losses of Seth Coy, Mark Kelsey, and many others, this community once again has banded together to find strength and the resolve to honor them and support the Arvin and Blubaum families. Let’s not let these folks down in the days ahead.
Know that you are not alone — all of this community is grieving with you.
Columns
A sadness felt by everyone
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The Heat need more from LeBron
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A cat-astrophe for Mr. Butterscotch
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Our View
Chances are if you a resident of Daviess or the surrounding counties, your life has been touched by Daviess Community Hospital. We are proud to be celebrating with the hospital this weekend, as DCH marks its 100th anniversary with a reception on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
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LeBron continues to amaze us
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Pacers miss golden opportunity
The Indiana Pacers had the Miami Heat right where they wanted them in the waning moments of overtime Wednesday night, but they couldn’t get out of their own way long enough to secure their most important playoff victory in more than a decade.
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SeaPerch sets bar high for WHS
It may seem uninteresting, even trivial to some, of the accomplishments of the Washington High School SeaPerch teams as they won in national competition over the weekend.
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Stop acting like sports are life and death
I’ve followed sports for much of my 27 years on earth, but one inescapable fact has caught my attention lately - sports make people crazy. You can't get around the fact that rooting for your favorite team can enrage you and turn you into a ravenous sports junkie. Passion isn’t always a bad thing, but combined with hatred for the rival of your favorite team can turn into something ugly and disgusting.
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A confession directly from Genoa City, Wis.
I am a confessed hopeless addict. And, after a conversation this week, even my co-workers know the ugly truth. I rarely go an entire week without catching up on my soap opera - The Young and the Restless.
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Quite simply less is more
Money can’t buy happiness, or at least that’s what you have been told. In Major League Baseball there has been a hot debate on when and how much should a team spend to improve the team on the field.
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Daviess County talent runs deep
Oakland City University head men’s basketball coach Dr. Mike Sandifar has a long and successful career.
He has a combined high school and college mark of 631-383 and is 427-234 at Oakland City in a career that covers 1987-1999 and 2003-2013. - More Columns Headlines
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