On April 9, the family and friends of Reagen White suffered a tragic loss with her passing. She was a beautiful, sweet young lady who had touched many lives, and was loved by many people.

Reagen had been a twirler at Gainesville High School before transferring to North Hall High School, and a few of her friends from Gainesville High gathered together to console each other and deal with their grief in the best way they knew how. They painted a memorial to Reagen on the Gainesville Rock.

Standing there, watching the kids paint, I was touched to see that along with the red heart they painted to represent Gainesville High, they also painted a green heart to represent North Hall High. For this one sad moment, it didn’t matter that they were rivals in everything; it only mattered that a much loved friend was gone, and they were all hurting.

As they struggled to deal with the realization that being young doesn’t mean being immortal, I was proud of them. Proud to be a Gainesville High parent. Proud that they remembered that during this time, they weren’t rivals, they shared a common emotion: grief.

To these kids I say, well done. You showed true class in a time of terrible sorrow.

Stacey Flowers
Gainesville