DARRINGTON — People shook hands and shared embraces before bowing their heads in prayer and raising their voices in song to mark a year since the weekend of the deadly Oso mudslide.
About 350 people came together Friday evening for a Gathering in Hope at the Darrington Community Center. They remembered family, friends and neighbors who died in the slide, and they honored the courage and dedication of those who rallied to help search in the mud, provide for the families and reconnect communities in the Stillaguamish Valley.
Tiers of white candles flickered in front of a stage where pastors from at least 11 different Stillaguamish Valley churches led prayers, shared words of encouragement and read passages from the Bible.
There were 43 candles, one for every life lost in the Oso mudslide. Above them, a banner read “Together: Arlington. Oso. Darrington.”
Pastor Dan Eide with Sisco Heights Community Church spoke of comfort, truth and strength. He prayed for divine strength “in the common, mundane things as we pull our lives back together and find a new normal.”
The vigil was hosted by the Darrington and Arlington ministerial associations, uniting churches from both communities. Representatives from the associations wore blue ribbons pinned to their shirts so people knew they were there to talk, pray or offer advice.
“We have endured what for many of us is the worst year of our lives,” said the Rev. Janet Loyd, with Darrington’s episcopal church. “Hopefully we will never see another year like it.”
Last March, people in the Stillaguamish Valley were living their lives as best they could, just as they always had, said the Rev. Les Hagen with Glad Tidings Assembling of God Church in Darrington. They had their joys and celebrations, along with their struggles. They also had hopes — a new car, a better job, a reconciliation with a friend or family member.
“Then: 10:37 a.m., March 22, 2014,” he said. “That came and everything changed. Everything changed. Our hopes were replaced with, ‘Oh my God.’ And that was a real prayer, not a flippant expression of surprise.”
People asked why. They lost themselves in a quicksand of unanswered questions.
Now he urged them to move forward, to put the past in the rear-view mirror. It doesn’t mean they forget what happened, he said. It means they turn their attention to tomorrow instead of yesterday, and rely on faith.
“During times of remembrance it is important to take time to reflect and to see … where we were then and where we are now,” said Joel Johnson, chaplain with the Oso Fire Department.
Shaun Jones, a representative from the Salvation Army, spoke about the recovery efforts, and how far the valley has come since this time last year. He’s worked in disaster relief for more than two decades, and he’s never seen communities pull together the way Arlington, Oso and Darrington have, he said.
All disasters have two things in common, he said. They are all different from each other, and they are all local. When the federal and state agencies finish their recovery work, the community remains.
“After the alphabet soup of agencies left … you were here to finish the project,” he said. “You were here to take care of your own people.”
Evan Wickham, a nationally known Christian musician from California, led the crowd through several songs, including “Amazing Grace”. People raised their hands to the heavens, clasped them in their laps or intertwined them with each other’s. Some bowed their heads while others looked up, beyond the wooden ceiling.
As the last notes of the song echoed off the high ceiling, people wiped tears from their eyes or put an arm around the person next to them.
Everyone shared food, drinks and conversation after the service. People in bright “Oso Strong” sweatshirts hugged friends in button-up shirts, yellow ribbons pinned to their pockets.
Shortly after the mudslide last year, churches in Darrington and Arlington held separate vigils, said the Rev. Deena Jones with Arlington United Church. It was difficult to come together. The highway was buried, communication was sketchy and people still were searching for missing loved ones. The physical connection that has been restored to the communities, and the camaraderie that has grown in the last year, are signs of good in the communities, she said.
There still is work to be done, though. The long-term recovery group is working to provide counseling to individuals and families as they continue to work through grief, anger and stress.
“Some of us are ready to talk today, some of us may be ready to talk a year from now,” Shaun Jones said. “It’s easy to rebuild a house or replace something that you’ve lost. But we’re never going to be able to replace a life.”
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
Counseling
To learn about individual, group or family counseling related to the Oso mudslide, people can contact Kerry Fitzgibbons at 360-348-8148.
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