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| Sandy Hook teddy bears - remembering... |
But it was the faces of the kids, who would not enjoy Christmas, would not receive the presents they had asked Santa for, who would not see another Thanksgiving or Halloween or birthday.
I celebrated my own birthday this week and believe me, this is something I never take for granted. This thing called life. As I sat in my hotel room on Friday night, coming from a night out, I cried for these children who will never fulfil the potential so many would have seen in them, and who would never marvel at the life moments that they would have created, the experiences and triumphs, the heartbreak and failures, the joy, love and happiness of a life well lived. As I reflected on my own life's journey and thanked God for the blessing, I thought of these little faces and the life snuffed out from their bodies too soon. Little Ana Marquez-Greene whose singing in a home movie, would now be limited to that movie. Or Jack Pinto who was a star wrestler, even at 6 years old.
Six years old. It is incomprehensible to me that someone would be so evil or so incapable of knowing better, for whatever reason, as to look into the eyes of the innocent and pull the trigger, ending a life before it had even started. I listen to friends - parents themselves - who tweeted and updated today that they held their kids tight before sending them off to school, not with the usual heavy heart of temporary separation, but with a heart filled with dread and terror. Is this the way we want to live? Is this the life we have promised our children? As a non-parent, is this a world I want to bring children into?
I pray for these families - both of the children, and the 6 amazing women who gave their lives to ensure dozens more could go home to their mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers. And for the remaining members of the perpertrator's family - victims themselves. The world mourns with Newtown. Our hearts break with this community, and my own prayers are with each and every family, and for the world we live in.
It's something I'll never understand. Even if they somehow figure out the motive, I will never understand it.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how parents do it. Sometimes I think I'm better off not being one because I honestly don't think I could have sent my kids to school this morning.
I could not send my kids to school today either. But we cannot smother them or lock them up, so what do we do? How does one raise a child in this world and still sleep at night? I cannot imagine...cannot imagine the pain these mothers and fathers are going through right now. God bless them.
DeleteI will never, ever understand the rationale for the idea of having an arsenal as a right in a civilized society. All these parents (both of the young and the old) have to bury their children. And then we hear commentary that advocate for educators, those within the school (like the principal), to be armed. Well, I guess, why stop there? Why not have all shopkeepers be armed, as well as security guards at shopping malls? Let's just turn this the United States into an armed state. The craziness of the push that all citizens be "packing heat" is unbelievable. Oh wait, let me go get my M-16 and whatever other assault weapon and my several magazines of 100+ bullets because you just never know...I may have to defend myself. P.S. Supposedly...allegedly, the mother was preparing for the end of the world or some nonsense. Okay...so how's an arsenal going to help you? Really? Nuts. Absolutely nuts. This all took place 45 min to an hour away from where I lay my head. A crying shame.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you. The politics cannot and should not compromise good sense. A society in which a housewife can easily own a licensed Bushmaster automatic weapon needs to check itself. Seriously.
DeleteVery beautifully said. That photo of the teddy bears makes me want to cry, too. Those poor little ones and their families...I'm not a parent {yet} and there *is* danger and so much sadness in this world that I wish I could shield them from...but there is also *so* much goodness that I want them to experience! It's a hard choice.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, The Bean is a total Grinch. :) She tried to eat the Christmas presents today.