We Are Marshall is an incredible story and one that I think has lessons that we, as Blue Jackets fans and Columbus residents, can learn from.
1. Lean on each other.
Love is the ultimate form of support. It doesn’t matter where it comes from. It could be from family, friends, neighbors, or fellow fans. We, as a hockey community and Columbus community, need to rely on each other. By showing love and kindness to others, we can heal together.
2. Put Family First
Both brothers put family ahead of everything else. That was the most important thing to them. One of the best ways to honor and remember someone is to live what they preached. We need to put our families and friends first in our lives. When life gets hectic, sometimes we get away from that. We need to prioritize our loved ones. The bonds that bring us together will help heal our wounds.
3. Honor the Gaudreaus
The deaths of Johnny and Matthew were beyond preventable. We need to honor their lives by helping save the lives of others. We should never drink and drive. We should teach our kids that lesson. We need to spread that message across the land. If we can become advocates against drunk driving, we can help prevent future tragedies from occurring. When we help others, we help ourselves. What a great way to honor their lives by helping save other lives.
The vigil that was held in Columbus on 9/4 had a great turnout and showed how much this city loves this team and each other. That’s what we all need right now. We need to continue to show up and turn out. When the hockey season starts in a month, we all need to pack Nationwide and support the team and our fellow fans. Don’t worry about the outcome of each game. The triumph over our sorrow is the most important thing. That is the only victory that we need right now.
Remember: Johnny chose Columbus. He knew how special this city and its residents are. It was a place that he deemed to be great to raise a family. I’m sure he felt that way, in part, because of the great citizens. Let’s continue honoring him and his decision with our continued support of each other and the team.
The movie ends with the line: “From the ashes, they rose.” I think it’s a good line, as it captures the overall sentiment of the movie. The Blue Jackets catch phrase from the 2019-2020 season was “Out of Our Blue, We Rise.” At the time, it wasn’t an overly popular catch phrase. It left many fans pondering what it even meant. But I think it could be very applicable to our situation now: Out of Our Blue (i.e. our pain), We Will Rise. Together. One Day at a Time.