Hokie Hope

Seven years ago, I made my first trip to Blacksburg, VA when we moved my sister Ashley into her dorm her freshman year. It was the now infamous, West Ambler Johnson dormitory. . . seventh floor (lots of steps). Ashley very quickly embraced the Hokie community and when she married a fellow Hokie, well, they truly do bleed orange and maroon.

I made several more trips over her five years there (she got her Master's there, too) and I guess I became a Hokie by proxy. I enjoyed going to the games and yes, I too, bought some orange and maroon for my own wardrobe. When I first heard about the tragedy on Monday, it hit me on a very personal level, thinking of my own few times there and of Ashley and Nate's life there. I've been processing it over these past few days and I continue to be really sad and sickened by it all.

I don't have any profound words for those affected by the loss, and most everything that I could say will sound trite and repetitive to what so many others have already said. My prayer in times like these is that God would speak His words of comfort and peace to the grieving in a way better than any one person ever could. May He speak hope in the place of despair and turn mourning to dancing in His perfect time.