Luke's Last Day On Earth

Luke had no idea that was his last drive to school. Life is precious, short, and full of unknowns.

I saw the Facebook posts the day of the accident. I called my wife and asked if our son was involved, thankfully, he wasn't. I went on with my workday not realizing the severity of the crash, nor what was about to happen.

The crash happened less than a block from the entrance to Higley High, the school that's graduated one of my five kids, is about to graduate another, and next fall will have my daughter attending. This is not just any high school in America, this is our high school. For those that follow me, you know more about Higley Football than you care to, I am sure. For those that don't you can read about it here.

The pictures of the accident were shared on community pages and reminded all of us how fragile life is. Over the next several days the accident scene evolved into a memorial, a touching memorial that kept growing. As I drove through the community, thousands of trees were wrapped with ribbons to celebrate the life of a young man who's life ended too soon. I found myself crying, moved, and sad for a family I didn't know, a young man I'd never met, nor would have the chance to meet.

At first I thought it was because he was part of the Higley High School family, but I quickly discovered the reason for my deep upset. I could empathize with Luke's family. I could put myself in their shoes and the thought of that pain sent me into an emotional tailspin.

Losing a child must be the worst experience a parent can have. Words cannot express my sadness.

I pass that memorial daily, it reminds me just how little time we have. Remember, someone you love may not wake up today or make it home tonight. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed.

Don't waste that precious time. Spend less time arguing, less time hating, and more time being kind to one another. I've spent 40 years in an industry that runs on deadlines and disagreements over which word goes first in a headline. None of it matters if you're not kind to the people sitting across the table from you, at work or at home.