One-Yard Wonders projects

Friday, July 20, 2012

My Family Is Together, and Safe Tonight

Oh it's so good to have our family complete again. The Luetts dropped Mazy off last night on their way to Steve's class reunion in Maquoketa. He was happy to be home. We were happy to have him back home. He had an awesome time with the Luetts and enjoyed his 10-day visit very much. Thank you Heidi, Steve, Theron and Hudson for making him feel so welcome and taking him on so many awesome adventures and activities!

I am so very thankful for my family, our health and our happiness tonight, especially in light of the horrifying events at the Colorado movie theater. Thinking about it makes my heart feel heavier in my chest. It's awful and terrifying and so very, very senseless. I cannot imagine what drives you to such an act. Why would you do this? What events in your life could possibly justify murdering and brutalizing innocent people? It is not a feat or honor to instigate the worse mass-shooting in American history. It is a betrayal to humankind. It is an act so revolting that we should erase your name and memory from this planet forever.

Why can't these murderers make the choice to end their own lives, instead of destroying so many others? If you have the need to pull a trigger and take a life, turn the barrel around and aim it at yourself.

For several days, I will feel uneasy and out of sorts. Violence like this, and even senseless deaths from accidents, always leaves me feeling shell-shocked and vulnerable. I will think about my children whenever they are out of my sight, and worry about all the "what ifs" in life. I will go to bed at night and pray to the spirits and guardians of our planet to watch over my family and to keep them safe and healthy. I will ask them to help lessen the misery of those who have lost loved ones or are watching loved ones suffer or try to survive. I will take inventory of my life and realize that annoying writing assignments at work, and rude neighbors next door, and petty grievances are nothing to complain about. I will vow to live a better life and enjoy simple pleasures, and teach my children to be compassionate and caring human beings.

And then after a week or so, we will all begin to feel normal and safe again. We will slowly forget the terror and disturbing images and will feel secure. We will laugh, we will return to theaters, we will find a reason for why it happened in Colorado, but could never happen here.

I am so very sorry for the victims, their families, their friends, their coworkers, and for everyone who knew and loved them. I am sorry for the community that must live with this memory, this awful, gruesome fact for which they will forever be known. And I'm sorry for the family and friends of the monster who caused this.

But I am happy for my life, and my family and my friends. And I'm determined to live and enjoy life, and not be paralyzed by fear and terror. Go hug someone. Tell them they're great. Tell them the world is a better place because they're in it. And that goes for all of you -- consider yourself hugged and appreciated. Now my sister is probably rolling her eyes and saying I'm getting sappy. So now I'm going to watch our Friday Movie Night selection: X-Men, the first movie. Happy weekend, everyone.

1 comment:

  1. I thought it was very nice what you said and oh so true.... and ok yes I rolled my eyes but only a little bit and I couldn't control them, it just happens naturally. :)

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