Shelby County has seen a lot of tragedy during the past week. The loss of 18-year-old Cortez Cotton, an up-and-coming basketball star, has hit Shelby County High School students, teachers and administrators hard.

Cotton’s life was cut short on Sunday following a basketball game at the school.

In Calera, a fire truck-semi accident on Monday morning took the life of one of the city’s finest.

The firefighter, Christopher James Roy, the 25-year-old grandson of longtime Mayor George Roy, died in the line of duty, on the way to a fire call &8212; doing what he loved most.

His fellow firefighters, the Roy family and others in the city who knew him mourn a life that was cut much too short.

These losses and others like them hit particularly hard during this time of year, traditionally a time of thanksgiving.

It’s important, then, to pull together as a community and offer strength and support to those who are in the midst of this unimaginable grief.

Our thoughts and prayers are with these families and others who are suffering during the holiday season.