Condolences

The Columbus Hockey community lost one of its sons over the weekend. William "Will" Robinson was killed in a single-vehicle accident Friday night. While I didn't know him well-and by that I mean I knew him casually from seeing him at the Civic Center-I still feel saddened by the loss. The hockey community is very small and tight-knit...we hockey people stick together and share in the ups and downs of each others lives. His death has had a profound effect on many of my friends. Two of my game-night helpers played on the high school team on which he was a goaltender and a couple of my other helpers had worked with him at one time or another through the youth and high school programs.

Will's death comes on the heels of last weekend's passing of Heath Jackson. Heath was a local DJ, musician, youth minister...and probably about a hundred other things, depending on who you ask. Mainly, he was a friend to all who knew him. He was murdered in his home when he apparently surprised a burglar, capping off a spree of 4 murders in 5 days in Columbus. I didn't know Heath, but I knew of him. As with Will, Heath was well known to many of my friends so I feel sympathy for the pain of their loss.

While both of these deaths occurred under different circumstances, they both illustrate the importance of enjoying each moment with friends and family. Every day is a precious gift from God, and you never know which one will be your last. While some may think it's a cliche, I think it's truer now than ever. I plan to savor every moment spent with family and friends.

But then...that's just me.