Denver, Colorado: The Comeback Town

I don't know why Colorado has been chosen to go through all this tragedy. The summer of 2012 will forever be remembered with a sense of loss, of sorrow and ultimately redemption. The Fort Collins, Waldo Canyon and other fires across the state only set the stage for the horror that occurred around midnight this morning.

What I do know is that we are a comeback town. Whether it be in our sports or in our history Denver, Colorado knows what it's like to be down and asked to get back up again. We've been asked too many times in our recent past. What happened today was a tragedy beyond our comprehension, but tomorrow begins yet another redemption story.

Colorado is full of a special kind of people. The kind of people that have learned to quickly set aside their many differences in the face of disaster. The kind of people that turn to their neighbor to hug them in tragedy and rejoice with them in victory.

They are a people that have found redemption together by experiencing the unthinkable; the kind of tragedy that would seem to demand that we all live in chronic fear. Alone, these ruthless acts of violence would break so many of us. Together, they are merely the catalyst for women and men and boys and girls to grab hands in a prayer circle twenty yards away from the scene of a mass murder. A sign of unity in a time of crisis. A sign that we will not be broken.

Colorado is full of people who use their voices through things like Facebook and Twitter, whether it be very small, very large or somewhere in between, to spread their love and condolences across the country in seconds. A tidal wave of support. Colorado media in all its forms has worked tirelessly not only to keep us informed but, more importantly, to keep the stories of redemption alive. To make sure we don't forget the people who died or stop talking about who they were. To make sure we don't forget those still fighting for their lives or stop being thankful for those that are safe.

Once again we have awoken to a tragedy and once again we are asked to rise above. I'm so proud of this state, this town and all the people who have reached out to each other. Together we rise above. Time and time again we have risen above and bounced back. Lodo Magic and Mile High Magic, it's all the same. All of us, together, make that magic happen. That togetherness makes it special. It's time for a little more of that. It's time for another comeback.

We are, after all, a comeback kind of town.