The crowd stood
mesmerized as the ball soared through the night sky. It arrived gently in the hands of a Newtown
High School wide receiver who scored as time expired to deliver a stunning state
football championship for a town still deeply wounded.
The holiday season remains a solemn time for the 28,000 residents
of Newtown, Connecticut. It has been
seven years since the horrific and unimaginable shooting at Sandy Hook
Elementary School.
Many of the players
on the Newtown High School football team attended Sandy Hook. The brother of the team’s star linebacker was
a victim.
This championship
– the school’s first in more than 25 years – ignited a sense of pride and perseverance
in the Newtown community. Riley Ward, the
player who caught the touchdown pass, told the Hartford Courant, “I couldn’t
have asked for anything more. I love
this town. I love everybody. I’m at a loss for words.”
For me, the story of Newtown High School’s victory is a reminder
of hope. That even in such divisive
times it is our ability to rise, to love everybody, that defines who we are.
The Hausman
family wishes you a wonderful holiday.
