Notes of Encouragement

By Amrita Raja

This morning, I woke up to an inbox with a handful of messages, one of which was from a friend I'd met last summer in France. It had been more than six months since I'd spoken to David, and I was surprised to find his e-mail wishing me "Bon courage" pop up on my screen.

I received a similar e-mail one year ago, from a friend I had never met, sending the thoughts and prayers from herself and her peers at a university in the Netherlands to all of us at Virginia Tech. The long-reaching impact of the events of April 16 has never been clearer to me than on these two days.

Earlier, I had written about Jack Bennett's film about the archiving of the letters, posters, sculptures and other thoughtful gifts sent by individuals from around the world during the weeks following April 16, 2007. Today, I ventured to Holtzman Alumni Center to visit some of these pieces in person.

It wasn't the banners from universities around the world, nor the flag flown above the U.S. Capitol one year ago, nor the beautifully rendered portraits of the 32 lives lost that gave me pause. It was a small Virginia Tech flag accompanied by a letter.

Will Tatum, a young Hokie fan, took this flag from his room and had students at his middle school, his sister's high school and members of his local government sign it before sending it to our campus.

His gesture was just one of so many letters that came from young students across the United States. I am in awe of those children who so eloquently expressed their empathy, recognized our pain and offered us comfort. When I can only watch, now, as then, with a strange numbness, their words fill my silence.

By Amy L. Kovac |  April 16, 2008; 12:11 PM ET  | Category:  Amrita Raja
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