Friendship and community support can comfort. Volunteers can collect food and money, provide housing, transportation and fuel. Relief and counseling organizations like churches, SEARHC, the Red Cross and state and federal agencies can help people cope with immediate and long-term emotional and financial needs. But nothing stops the hurt, the deep loss and the fear that it could happen again.
The deadly landslide that roared down the mountainside at 11-Mile on Nov. 20 has forever changed not just the geology of the area but the collective memory of an entire community. No one will ever forget their friends who died in the tragedy, nor should anyone forget what the people meant to the town.
Memories are painful, but they are meaningful and important. It’s how we cope with a loss, honoring people by remembering them — preserving in our mind their smiles, recalling the good things they did, replaying time spent together.
Wrangell has a good memory, particularly of people who made their home in town over the years, especially those who have died. That strong memory will serve the community well as residents go through the days, months and years ahead. There is no deadline after which memories expire, no reason to ever stop thinking of those who died.
As the community endures a second week of pain, we all know there are no perfect words to adequately sum up the lives of the people who perished in the slide, no words that can express the sorrow and loss. All anyone can do is remember them, share stories and honor them by acts of kindness — all part of living in a small town.
Hold on to your memories and use them for strength — and share them with others who need help too.
— Wrangell Sentinel
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