As I sit down to write my column, I’m torn on what to write about. There’s the bridge, or tunnel, or whatever we were supposed to get. There’s road pricing. There’s changes at ICBC. There’s proportional representation and the pending legalization of cannabis.
But all of that means so little to me right now. All I can think about is Kyle Losse, his family and his friends.
Kyle passed away last week due to a tragic accident in his home. A Grade 8 student at South Delta Secondary, he was only 14 years old. Despite his young age, he had been identified as a promising baseball player, with a talent to send a baseball over an outfield fence like few others.
I didn’t know Kyle personally, but I know people who did. When you get right down to it, Tsawwassen is a small town and we are all connected one way or another.
All the kids that meet at pre-school, play sports or other activities all end up in one big group at the high school.
I, like many other parents, received the note that a student was on life support. The next day, the note told us the news no one wanted to hear.
As I read it, I couldn’t imagine the pain that his parents must have gone through during those last few hours, and the agonizing decisions that had to be made. I could never imagine the feeling of facing what they had to face. My heart broke for them, and still aches as the days go by.
The questions that surround his accident don’t change the fact that Kyle’s parents are doing what should never be asked of any parent; laying their child to rest.
Life is so fragile.
In a split second, everything can change. It reminds us we cannot take anything for granted, that we have to be grateful every day for the people who surround us and love us. This tragic event should remind us to hold those you love a little longer, to say how much they mean to you a little more often.
As a tribute to Kyle, a GoFundMe page has been set up in his memory. A Facebook page shares the thoughts and best wishes of the many people Kyle touched in his all too short life. Sunday’s celebration of life was well attended, one time the rain couldn’t keep people from the ballfield.
To Brian, Niki, Tyler, Vada, Joshua and Jaime, I hope the pain and loss you feel now is replaced in time with the wonderful memories you have of Kyle. Know that you do not mourn alone, an entire community has you in its thoughts.
I hope that Kyle has found his Field of Dreams, that the sun shines down on him as Shoeless Joe hands him a bat and says, “Show us what you’ve got, kid.”
Show ’em what you’ve got, Kyle. Rest in peace.
Brad Sherwin, MBA is a long-time resident of South Delta, and has over 25 years’ experience in marketing, public relations and business strategy. He teaches marketing at Douglas College, coaches hockey goalies and is president of the board of directors at Deltassist.
