As a former kindergarten and first grade teacher, and the mother of a kindergarten-aged student, my heart is breaking for the students and their families in Connecticut that were affected by the recent shooting. I have always been a person that truly believes that things happen for a reason. But as hard as I think, as much as I try to wrack my brain, I know that there can be no reason for a tragedy that tears babies from their families, traumatizes innocent children, and makes students fearful of the one place that should be a place of sanctuary from the evil of the world. I like to think that when Eoin goes to school that he, his classmates, and his teacher will be safe--but I think that illusion has been taken from us all.
While I know that the likelihood of this happening at my child's school is very small, I will still have a little tug at the back of my brain wanting me to hold Eoin a little tighter to me as I drop him off in the morning, and sigh a bigger sigh of relief as I pick him up safely in the afternoon. I think the hardest thing for me was waking up to such a beautiful morning. It almost felt like the sky should be crying tears of sadness for all that was lost, but this is the irony of life. No matter how much sadness you have to endure, the sun always rises the next day, and people go on with their lives.
So before we pick up and carry on, please join me in praying for these families to find peace in the tragedy. May God hold them all in His arms and comfort them in this time of unimaginable sadness.