It wasn’t that long ago that Crisis Teams for schools systems were unheard of.

But then came Paducah, Ky. and then came Columbine and 9/11 and war and our kids needed more help than the principals and teachers were able to give.

To their credit, school administrators responded.

They recognized that kids and their teachers had emotional needs that weren’t being met after tragedy struck.

They did something about it.

Though we wish they didn’t have to do it, the Selma City Schools Crisis Team went to CHAT Academy Monday to help the children, teachers and parents deal with the death of 12-year-old Harry Reese Jr.

Crisis Teams are rather like insurance, we all pray that they never have to be used, but we are all thankful we have them when they are needed.

No amount of counseling, no amount of training, no amount of loving can heal the wounds of the boy’s family and friends. But the Crisis Team can help them learn to live with the tragedy.

It is a terrible thing for an eighth-grade class to come face-to-face with such a harsh reality. As hard as we try, we can’t keep all of our children safe and protected from the hurt in the world.

We, at The Times-Journal, hope and pray the friends and family of Harry Reese Jr., are able to find some comfort in the counseling made available by the school system.

We hope and pray they are able to find some peace.