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Terral formula works

Aspen Times writer

Dear Editor:On June 12, just east of town, at a place we all know as North Star, the quiet beauty of this place was broken. Three young men, driving in a nice car, lost control on a curve and crashed. Ten seconds of turbulent motion changed all of us forever. Two of the young men came away from that terrible moment emotionally shaken, but physically fine. The third young man did not. In the sweet stillness after those few dramatic seconds, with birds in the skies above that paradise-like setting, Alex Terral was lying in the matted grass in trouble and clinging to his precious life. Such a fine young person with so many accomplishments and countless friends. With emergency teams responding, time stood still. For the next few agonizing days, Alex would fight hard to stay with us, but sometimes our bodies are too fragile; this time, unfortunately, would be no different.During those tense days from Thursday to Monday, we all took time to think of Alex. We remembered his infectious smile and his boundless sense of humor. He was noticeably bright and always playful; he was always that way. But after all, it is understandable, because Susan and Tim built him that way. They love Alex so much, it’s quite obvious, and they never tried to hide it. Alex’s brief but wonderful life was filled with love from them. The diapers, the shoes, the games, the girls, they were there for all of it. Outstanding young people are not born, they are built. Their formula works. Just look at Matt, Alex’s incredible younger brother. Matt, like his brother, is also blessed with great talent and many friends. Tim and Susan are building him the same way, and their formula clearly works. Undying, inspirational love and support, that precious bond they have with their boys; they have set a wonderful example for all of us. Those days in Grand Junction must have been so tough for Alex’s family … remembering all that is good about life in our community, but so afraid for the future. On Monday, June 28, we learned that we have to go on without Alex. With memories of him and lessons from him, our community must rally around Tim, Susan and Matt, and help them through their most difficult time. Tim and Susan, your boys love you so much, and Alex was so proud of you, Matt. Their formula works.It is probably somewhat fitting that these last few days have been cloudy skies, and colder temperatures. It’s as if Mother Nature herself is in mourning. Maybe it’s just her way of cleansing the matted grass at North Star. Or maybe it’s meant to help rinse away our sorrow. But magically, through it all, I found myself so proud of the Terrals and proud of our community. I found myself more in love with my beautiful wife and my incredible children. I thought for a moment … their formula really does work, and somehow it must be because of Alex.Dan PersonAspen