It was an event that shouldn’t have happened.
But it did.
It had to.
It was a vigil last Saturday night at the Mitford Pond in memory of a 17-year-old Cochrane High School student killed in a car accident Dec.6.
Apparently, by a drunk driver.
It simply shouldn’t have happened, but it did, and credit to the young people of Cochrane who organized the vigil.
This wasn’t organized by politicians.
It wasn’t organized by adults, it wasn’t organized by any officials of anything — it simply was a spontaneous outpouring of affection and respect for the late Brandon Thomas and his family by his peers.
And more than 250 young people braved minus 20 degree temperatures to be there.
There was about a four foot square board leaning against a picnic table with photos of Brandon and dozens and dozens of messages covering every square inch.
Messages of goodbye, messages of heartbreak and yes, messages of love and how he would be missed.
This was more than Brandon's friends saying farewell, it was also his peers thanking him for being part of their lives.
Kids were close to the fire and the board with the handful of adults a respectful distance in the background, just as it should be.
Many of the young people carried candles and some stopped for a moment before the board, lowered their heads and in their own moment of silence placed their candles gently against the board’s base.
Knots of three or four kids would group hug and then share with each other, something adults should do more of.
One young lad knelt before the board placing his candle then with head bowed stayed there a few seconds.
As he stood up he gently punched the board, like athletes do supporting each other.
A guy thing, and so very touching.
One of the organizers was adamant that there be no recognition for those that planned the Saturday vigil.
“We don’t need 15 minutes of fame. We’re doing this to show our respect and gratitude that Brandon Thomas was part of our lives.
“We’ll all miss him to be sure but we’re all grateful that he played a part in our lives, however briefly.”
Yet the students who organized the vigil do deserve credit.
They organized the firewood, the memorial board, they organized the candles and the guest books and they did it all in a very short time.
They used social media to be sure but some kids had to walk the streets and put up posters in all sorts of places where the public would be sure to see them.
And more than 250 showed up.
As I watched these kids and marvelled at how mature and compassionate they were, I thought this town is in good hands with these young people as our future.
They’re so very mature, so organized and most important of all, they care.
They care about each other and they have enough self-confidence to show it and share it.
But perhaps even in a tragedy as traumatic as this, there can be some good.
There’s no question drinking and driving is on more minds in Cochrane this week than it was last week.
There’s also no question that there’s 250 young people in this community much more aware of the tragedy that lurks behind every drinking driver.
And if those 250 young people become active and vocal advocates against drinking and driving, perhaps sometime, somewhere, a life could be saved.
Maybe that’s part of the legacy of Brandon Thomas.
Maybe that’s part of the commitment 250 young Cochrane people will make because of this.
Perhaps the challenge for the rest of us is to follow the lead of our young people.
I find it quite remarkable that 250 people would gather at minus 20 degrees to simply say thanks for being part of their lives.
I didn’t know Brandon Thomas.
But I wish I had.
