There are no words to express the horror and grief and sadness I feel about yesterday's tragedy. There is no blog post I can write that will compare to some of the meaningful, thoughtful posts I've read in the last day. I can't think of a way to tell my children about this that won't terrify and confuse them, and I don't know how to prevent another tragedy like this happening. What I can do, and I am not claiming ownership of this idea, is offer love and caring and compassion and hope that that spreads from person to person. I am blatantly stealing this from two other bloggers, who wrote it much more eloquently than I have: Miss Zoot and the new-to-me Daring Young Mom. Go over and read their words, and pass it along. Share the love. Be patient. Be kind. Understand that I don't know what everyone around me is struggling with, but it is a given that they struggle with something. I don't believe that it'll make the truly crazy people less crazy, but it might make it easier for everyone else.
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(This post by the Onion pretty well sums up how I really feel, but be warned it's ... well it's from the Onion, that should be warning enough. Also, this from Morgan Freeman, THIS is why it happens.)
I can't wrap my head around how this could happen and I watched coverage for a while last night, I suppose in the hope that some answer might be given. But no answer will be. And I remember what it felt like to be a city where there had been a mass murder and just wanting to the reporters and cameras,and news vans to just leave and let Omaha get on with its grieving and its healing. My heart goes out to everyone in that community but especially to those families who lost loved ones and to the children who were in that building and whose lives will never be the same.
ReplyDeleteHow very sad, tragic and difficult to understand. We live about 1.5 hours from Newtown:( No reading for me this weekend.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. I've talked to my kids about active shooters before and they have to do drills for it in school, but I really wanted to say something to my daughter last night, about how that one little girl came out the only survivor because she had the foresight to play dead. It saved her life. The schools out here teach them to run but if you are cornered, they don't tell you what to do then. I just couldn't bring myself to say it. Here at the university, they tell you to attack the shooter. A classroom full of people can take a shooter out. It's scary, but true. I still plan to talk to my daughter, but I have to bring it up at the right time. She's heard nothing about the shooting.
ReplyDeleteI confess I'm very glad my daughter is too young yet to understand any of what's happened and that I don't have to find a way to explain it to her. I can't imagine what I would say . . . All I can do is love her and treasure our every moment together, even the tantrums. She's gotten so many extra hugs and kisses this weekend . . .
ReplyDeletexo. (that's pretty much all I can say without turning into a sobbing mess at my desk)
ReplyDeleteI love this post! Everything that happened last Friday is just heartbreaking but I like the idea of doing something (anything) that could make a difference. Such a sad day...
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