Mother Of Accident Victim Thanks The Community
Elise Norton •
To the editor:
On December 8th 2022 my family and I suffered a great tragedy, the loss of my son Baxter Waldman.
If not for the support and kindness we received from the community I do not know how we would have gotten through it. Nantucket is a wonderful place full of amazing people. There have been so many people lifting me up during this very difficult time. Dinners were delivered to my home, hot and ready, every night for a month. Some delivered by friends and some by people I don’t even know, the generosity is heartwarming. I want everyone who cooked my family a meal, sent us sweet treats and flowers to know that we truly appreciate the love and energy that it took. You kept our hearts and tummies full, thank you.
I also want to be sure to directly recognize some businesses and individuals who went above and beyond for me. A special thank you to the owners and staff of The Nantucket Hotel, Poets Corner, NCTV 18, Wicked Island Bakery, Flowers on Chestnut, Young’s Bicycle Shop, Murray’s Toggery Shop, RJ Miller, Erik Wendelken, Vaughn Machado, and Suzie Kraft. I would also like to recognize the Nantucket and State Police Departments for their hard work and dedication to this community. I would like to thank the Nantucket High School Athletic Department for their show of support.
This tragedy had a huge impact on the community as well. Many people knew Baxter personally and felt his loss deeply, even those who did not know him well were affected by his death. With that said I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Fairwinds Counseling Center and the school administration for supporting those who struggled to make sense of such an awful misfortune. I also want to be sure to thank all those people who have been silently championing for me, my family and this community. I may not be aware of your kindnesses but I have felt it through the strength that I have found to persevere through this harrowing experience. Thank you for being the best community ever.
Stay Baxter Strong.
Elise Norton