When Evil Strikes
This morning I woke to tragedy in my hometown. I had already received texts and calls from family members out of state asking me to let them know that we were OK. Confused and groggy, I immediately turned on the TV, and what I saw shocked me. Flashing across the bottom of the screen was a message about a mass murder in a movie theater just miles from my home. Images of people running from the building, screaming, some covered in blood, and fire trucks and police cars surrounding an area that I know well, sent shivers down my spine. As my brain began to process the information being fed to it, I began to cry. The tears that fell were tears of sadness for those who died and were injured, tears of sympathy for those who escaped, but would have to live with those horrific images for the rest of their lives, tears of anger for the sick person who could commit such a senseless act, and lastly, tears of fear. The movie theater is a place where friends, couples and families venture to in order to escape into a world of fantasy and excitement. Movies pull you in and help you to forget about whatever might be weighing you down at the time. These innocent people waited for hours (possibly months, if they are anything like my husband) to watch a movie about a hero and instead wound up watching their own real-life horror movie play out right before their eyes. Is nothing sacred? Is nothing safe anymore?
The longer I listened to the news, the sicker I felt. I watched my sleeping little boy, dreaming sweet dreams, and I feared for the world he will grow up in. On one hand, I want to keep him in a bubble forever, protecting him from all harm and wishing that he will never feel pain. On the other hand, I want to teach him love, respect and kindness so that he can spread good throughout a world filled with hate. As we drove in the car this morning, every radio station was recounting the events from last night, and I scanned through to see if I could find just one station playing music so that Little J wouldn't have to hear the horror, but I was unsuccessful. As we listened to an eye witness report, I felt so sad. I looked back at Little J and asked him if he could hear what they were saying. He nodded yes. I asked him if he had any questions and he shook his head no. I felt a small wave of relief. If he did in fact have questions, I have absolutely no idea how I would respond. How do you talk to a 4 year old about something so terrible?
The reality is that violence occurs every day. We may hear about it on the news. We may not. In a short break from the movie theater news this morning, they shared a 30 second clip about a suicide bombing in a bus overseas. There were innocent people on that bus who died and their families, too, will be receiving news that they have lost a mother, father, brother or sister. My heart breaks for them too. When we hear about something that hits so close to home, it opens our eyes and our hearts. It makes us realize to never take a single day for granted because we are never guaranteed tomorrow. I may not know how to answer my son's questions if and when they do arise and I may not be able to keep him in a bubble forever, but I do know that I will tell him that I love him every single day (probably 50 times a day). I know that I will hug him tight as often as I can, and never take a single moment for granted. You never know what can happen.
Despite the horror, I am amazed by the outpouring of love in wake of last night's events. The messages of love and prayers on Facebook and the outreach of support from all over the nation, shines light on something so dark. In a world and a time that is so uncertain, one thing remains true: When evil strikes, goodness and love take over. I have seen that today.
My heart goes out to all those affected by the tragedy at the movie theater and they are all in my prayers.
The longer I listened to the news, the sicker I felt. I watched my sleeping little boy, dreaming sweet dreams, and I feared for the world he will grow up in. On one hand, I want to keep him in a bubble forever, protecting him from all harm and wishing that he will never feel pain. On the other hand, I want to teach him love, respect and kindness so that he can spread good throughout a world filled with hate. As we drove in the car this morning, every radio station was recounting the events from last night, and I scanned through to see if I could find just one station playing music so that Little J wouldn't have to hear the horror, but I was unsuccessful. As we listened to an eye witness report, I felt so sad. I looked back at Little J and asked him if he could hear what they were saying. He nodded yes. I asked him if he had any questions and he shook his head no. I felt a small wave of relief. If he did in fact have questions, I have absolutely no idea how I would respond. How do you talk to a 4 year old about something so terrible?
The reality is that violence occurs every day. We may hear about it on the news. We may not. In a short break from the movie theater news this morning, they shared a 30 second clip about a suicide bombing in a bus overseas. There were innocent people on that bus who died and their families, too, will be receiving news that they have lost a mother, father, brother or sister. My heart breaks for them too. When we hear about something that hits so close to home, it opens our eyes and our hearts. It makes us realize to never take a single day for granted because we are never guaranteed tomorrow. I may not know how to answer my son's questions if and when they do arise and I may not be able to keep him in a bubble forever, but I do know that I will tell him that I love him every single day (probably 50 times a day). I know that I will hug him tight as often as I can, and never take a single moment for granted. You never know what can happen.
Despite the horror, I am amazed by the outpouring of love in wake of last night's events. The messages of love and prayers on Facebook and the outreach of support from all over the nation, shines light on something so dark. In a world and a time that is so uncertain, one thing remains true: When evil strikes, goodness and love take over. I have seen that today.
My heart goes out to all those affected by the tragedy at the movie theater and they are all in my prayers.