In Sugarland's Shoes

Many are still in disbelief over the tragedy this past weekend with the collapsing of the stage at the Indiana State Fair minutes before Sugarland was to perform. 5 people are dead and many are going to be scarred either physically, emotionally or mentally. 

Kristian Bush released this statement: "Our fans just came to see a show, and it ended in something terrible. My heart is totally broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives. It's broken for all the people who got hurt, for the people who were scared. I thank God for every person who lifted a truss, who pushed against that metal to get it off someone; for every person who used a chair as a stretcher. I thank God for every fan and emergency responder, for everyone who ran to the trouble instead of away from it. The courage of those men and women will forever be with me." - 

I recently met Kristian and Jennifer at Craven. They were both sweet and genuine and incredibly grateful for their fans and their support. I watched how sincere they were about the Little Miss project and how their fans interpreted that song in home-made videos in tribute to the message. I watched a video recently of a teen-age girl who started a campaign to just get something as simple as a hug from Sugarland when they played in her city. It paid off as this young girl was taken backstage with a friend and surprised when Jennifer and Kristian walked into the room and each gave her a huge hug, sending her over the moon. 

Today 4 members of their "Fan Family" are no longer alive and one 14 year old boy is paralyzed because they only wanted to see their favourite band perform. When I try to put myself in their shoes, I feel heartbreak for Jennifer and Kristian knowing they must feel immense sadness and possibly guilt over this whole tragedy. It may take awhile for them to ever step up on stage again without feeling heavy hearted. Not to mention their fear of being on stage, considering they were only minutes away from stepping up to sing on the same stage that buckled like a toothpick in the wind. From this point on, Sugarland, like many who experienced that fateful night at the Indy State Fair, will be trying to heal.