For Labor Day this year, I wrote a piece about the loss of an historic tree on campus.  I also noted "It was necessary to take the tree down and I thought I would be one of a few "old timers" distressed by this but I was wrong!  Recently graduated students put up a Facebook page mourning the passing of this tree! I was very surprised by their reaction.  It took taking that tree down for me to know there are other (younger generation) people who cared about it too.  I think that discovery will help overcome my feeling of loss.  There will be something out of place about that hole in the front yard, but I take comfort in knowing I"m not alone in missing the great tree." 

The "recently graduated student" who made the Facebook Group  RIP The Harpursville Tree: 1426-2011  died in a car crash this past weekend.  He had been visiting his sister Abby in Geneseo and had just left to return to school at RIT when the accident occurred.  No alcohol, drugs or excessive speed involved.  Just one of those tragic accidents you read about but don't think too hard about until it hits home. 

The entire family are close friends of ours.  Abby and Ryan are very tight.  This has hit us hard.  We are struggling.  It's tragically ironic that Dan, a 21 year old Eagle Scout engineering student, put together this Facebook group about this tree because creating a Facebook group was on his bucket list.  And now they are both gone and there are huge holes left behind.  I wonder if he would be surprised at the impact his short life has made on so many adults in our community.  I understood taking the tree.  I don't understand this and I know I"m not meant to. 

So, I guess I'm sharing this with you all as yet another reminder to hug the ones you love as often as you can.