A Time for The Community to Pull Together.

As I write this I am torn up inside due to the tragedy of losing Gunnar Anderson. I knew who Gunnar was as he was a senior the first year that I coached Cross Country and Track, and I knew of  Gunnar through stories relayed by friends and just seeing him around town.

I never heard a bad thing about him.

I am sure that he had his moments, as we all do, but the stories that I heard were of him volunteering to build a doghouse for a customer he was building a garage for, just because he liked the dog. I remember seeing him talk to and encourage the younger football players as they walked, no, strutted out to the practice field with their cleats clicking on the sidewalk. I heard time and time again about his good attitude and his zest for life.

I feel so epically bad for those that were close to him and I send my deepest possible condolences to his family.

What a rough way to start a New Year...

One thing that we CAN do is that we can all remember his zest and put some of that into our own lives... in Gunnar's memory. We can care for and reach out to others in our community and give them a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen. We can go out on a limb and build that dog house just because you like the dog or say thank you to the person behind the counter for being there every time you need gas or a cup of coffee.

We live in a place where the loss of one person is not just significant, it's personal. I didn't know the impact that Gunnar had on so many, I just knew what his impact was on me, "He's a good guy," that's what I thought and what I still do think. Let's help remember Gunnar by taking care of each other and continuing to be the kind of community that can produce young men like Gunnar.

Blessings to you all and if I can be of any assistance through this process, please let me know.