Lesson from the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting

Imagine dropping your child off at school, then getting a phone call an hour later that there has been a massive shooting at your child's school. When you get there, you are kept on the outside by the police with no idea whether your child is alive or not. You have to wait, knowing there are casualties but not knowing who they are.

I hope that this scenario seems like a nightmare that could never come true in our country. For parents who had Kindergarten through 4th grade students at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut that nightmare was their reality today. It was all over the news. How did you react when you heard about it?

I was left tearful and speechless when I heard. I wanted to grab my 5 year old son out of school just to love on him. The only thing that stopped me was his perfect attendance. Instead, I waited until school was over and picked him up from school instead him ride the bus. It was not even my night to have him, but I had to see him. I just wanted to hug his neck because I could, and I thought of those who couldn't.

There were 20 children killed plus 7 adults and the shooter, 28 dead. That is a lot of parents that will never get to hug on their kids necks again. Ever. Siblings and friends that will never get to play again, children that will never see their parent again. The tragedy goes beyond what we expect to have happen here in America.

I have heard police talk abaout how hard it is for them to cope mentally and emotionally after a call where one child is killed that they do not know. Imagine a call where there are multiple children killed, that you do know. That is unconscionable when you look at the big picture. All the people who are affected: friends, siblings, relatives, parents, teachers, significant others, police.

Everybody is affected. Even those who are not related, who don't know the victims of this tragedy and who did not see the carnage. Everybody! Because of that we should be spending time with our loved ones. We should be taking time to talk to our kids who may have heard about this, or who surely will. Prayers for those who were impacted are needed. In all reality there are a lot of things that we should be doing.

Yet it seems that some are just using this as an excuse to hop on their bandwagon. Whether that bandwagon is gun control, conceal and carry allowed by teachers in schools or putting God back in school they are hopping up on it. The media is just as guilty; interviewing children between the ages of 5-10 and people in tears leaving the school after the tragedy. Give it a rest for at least a day or two. Not cool, way too soon everybody!

I think part of the problem is that we have become desensitized to violence and tragedy. It happens so often that some of us are becoming numb to it. I am not. I am still in shock, so glad that it didn't happen to me or anyone that I know yet mortified that it happened at all. I am totally at a loss as to how anyone could do this to children.

I am glad that I don't understand. If there comes a time that I understand or am not struck speechless and tearful by senseless violence, I will know that I am in trouble. For now, I will enjoy time with my loved ones, hug and kiss on them and pray a lot.

If you want to help, pray for those who were impacted today by the tragedies that they have strength and find some sort of comfort in their loved ones. Let loved ones know that it is okay to be mad, sad, confused and glad. Focus on what you do have, and be grateful.

Most importantly, make sure to tell the people you care about that you love them and then show it every single day. After all, you never know when the last time you will see someone is. You never get a second chance to make a last impression.