EDITORIAL: Focus on positive mark of deceased

THE LAST WEEK was a tragic-filled one.

It ran the full gamut of emotions – from anger, to pain, to sorrow.

The string of sad and unfortunate incidents started Saturday when, from very early, news spread of the death of an elderly woman, the victim of a vicious attack by a pack of dogs.

It was a horrible death endured by the devout member of St Barnabas Anglican Church, who was on her way to clean the sanctuary, and it tugged at the hearts of many.

Less than 24 hours later, the country was again gripped by the deaths of four young people who perished in a vehicular accident following a celebration on what was supposed to be their last night in the island.

This was another tragedy that touched so many because among the lives lost were those of three in their teens, who had just completed a six-week internship at The Crane Resort and in a few hours were set to return to their families in St Vincent.

The string of unfortunate incidents continued when a Christ Church man’s house was doused in gasoline, pelted with Molotov cocktails and riddled with bullets.

Fortunately, this man lived to tell the tale.

It is easy, given the bad news and unfortunate deaths that received national attention, to dwell on all the negatives.

While we mourn those who lost their lives in these horrific incidents and grieve with families whose loved ones are now gone, we must focus on the positive mark they made, no matter how short their time on this Earth.

Family, friends and neighbours spoke glowingly of 74-year-old Verona Gibson as a selfless, generous and well-loved individual.

It was also a testimony to the life she led that two neighbours jumped in to try to save her from the attack.

Similarly, in the case of teenagers Aziza Dennie, 19, Danee Horne, 17, and Carianne Padmore, 18, who perished in the accident, it was heartwarming to hear the staff and management at The Crane speak about the positive impact they had made during their short stay in a country that was not their home.

The lone Barbadian Andre Gittens, who died in the accident, had also only spent a short time at the hotel but his contribution was one that led managers to believe his future was bright.

There is no taking away the grief and sadness of these tragedies that touched many Barbadians, nor the pain that the families must feel at this time, but we as a country, while mourning these deaths, must remember the positive mark that those who are now gone have left behind.

Transforming our tears and heartache into action to head off further tragedies is one way we can use our grief in a positive way.