Yesterday, my phone started beeping. I had received a few texts and Twitter notifications about the tragic bus accident at Amy Beverland Elementary. A bus had hopped the curb and struck principal Susan Jordan and seriously injured two students. I was discussing this horrible story with a friend, and she commented, “Well, everything happens for a reason”. She wasn’t dismissing the tragedy or making light of it, but it made me ask myself, ‘why do some people say that or worse BELIEVE that?’. It’s like a coping mechanism. The loss of a loved one can be incredibly painful. I’d almost rather have a serious cut or broken bone, because that heals in such a different way than a broken, grieving heart. I did not know principal Susan Jordan, but a couple of friends described her as being so loving and dedicated to her students. Imagine how those students and teachers are handling such news. Which brings me to my point, how could anyone think that “everything happens for a reason”? Some believe that our lives are already predetermined and we’re just going through the motions. In other words, they think that the bus accident was just a part of Susan’s life. I cannot get my head wrapped around that. This amazing woman’s destiny was to be struck and killed by a bus???
During other tragic events in history, I’ve heard people try and take that negative and find the positive. School shootings, 9-11 and even famine. Doing this certainly helps bring people together, but it doesn’t take away the pain, or make sense of why the hell it happened. Grief is such a personal thing. And for the young students, parents and teachers who lost their principal yesterday at Amy Beverland Elementary School, my heart breaks for you~
Here’s the story from our news partner at CBS4 in case you missed it: BUS ACCIDENT
