Sometimes it takes a tragedy to bring a community together. Just like our nation united did on 9/11, communities across our nation unite when we have a common cause. Today would have been Alex Francies’ 32nd birthday. Sadly, he left our world our junior year in high school. Alex was a guy that was unique in own way and is missed by all those that was in his life. But what is touching is the way our community came together to support each other and his family. I know that during that time it didn’t matter who was friends with whom, it was about being there for each other. But for the Class of 1998 of Wheatland High School, we had to unite two more times during our high school years to remember the loss of one our classmates. Although it was heartbreaking to say goodbye to Carole and Mike as well, I think that it brought us together as a class and defined our character as people today.
I had the pleasure and sometimes frustration of leading my class for three years and one as the student body president. These experiences have defined me as a person in ways that I see in small ways every day. One of most defining moment in my high school life was representing our school at Carole’s funeral. It was the most difficult time looking out into the crowd and seeing so many people hurting and not being able to do anything to make it better. But what I have learned later in life is that I didn’t need to fix anything—we as a group healed together.
Our school community lived together and worked together. Of course not everyone got along, but when the chips were down, we pulled together.
I believe that these experiences early in our lives have taught us so much. That even today, we are more caring and compassionate to others in our community with the willingness to give more of ourselves because of what we have experienced.
So to Mike, Carole, and Alex’s families, know that even though the pain of losing someone we all loved so much, their spirit lives within all of their classmates. That their memories are carried with us and our actions to make our communities a better place are in their honor.
