From the moment we become a parent, and hold our child in our arms, we know we would lay down our lives for theirs.  We want to keep them safe.  We want to put them on our shoulders so that they can reach for the stars.  But although our hearts grow bigger in that moment, a flutter also emerges.  It changes the beat of our heart the first time they walk home from school on their own, the first time they get behind the wheel to drive, and every time we watch the clock and wait for them to walk back in the door.

We’ve all put our children on a bus for a competition or a trip and slowed the beats of our heart by telling ourselves it will all be fine.

That is why all our hearts were shattered when we heard about the tragic bus accident involving the Humboldt Broncos Junior Hockey Team.

Young boys following their dreams.  Excited to head to a playoff game with their teammates.  Their brothers.

In that moment, people across the country and around the world grieved for those boys and their families.  The lost potential.  The broken dreams.

As author Simon Van Booy said, “You were unsure which pain is worse — the shock of what happened or the ache for what never will.”

May the families find some kind of peace and know that we are all standing with them in their immense sorrow.