Tragedy

Tragedy is a word we use all too often. Awful. Devastating. Unbearable. All of those words. It is not a tragedy/awful/devastating/unbearable when you can't find the purse you wanted on sale, nor is it a tragedy/awful/devastating/unbearable when you miss a call from a friend or miss a party or whatever floats your boat. We throw those words around so easily...
 


This is what is a tragedy/awful/devastating/unbearable: kissing your small child and sending them to school never dreaming you'll never see them alive again. Another tragedy? Telling your 3 year old that his or her big brother or sister is never.coming.home. Never. And they can't even comprehend the word NEVER. But when? Where is s/he? I just want to play with him/her. Or even worse, maybe you DIDN'T kiss that child that morning. Because there was plenty of time for that later, and besides, we are in a hurry and you're late. And don't forget your lunch and your homework. And good heavens, did you brush your teeth? Why is your hair sticking up? People are going to think you're an orphan. What if those were the last words?
You dropped them off or put them on the bus for what should be a safe day away from mom. School should be the place where it's okay. But too often it's not. From bullying to massacres...
The odds are this will never happen to most of us. But, what if it does? What if this morning were your last morning with your child?
I have my beliefs on gun control as I know most have their minds made up on it. But either way, this is not a political issue. It's a heart issue. There are grieving parents out there and siblings and grandparents and aunts and uncles...and children of teachers and administrators that were shot protecting children! And it's not about political issues. I could cite all the rhetoric in the world and give you statistics about deaths and the percentages caused by gun violence...but if it's "only" 11,000 (I did see that number on a chart)...when you're a family member of one of those "11,000" it's definitely more than "only". And the family and friends of over 11,000 people that died don't want to hear that. When you're going through grief, statistics don't make you feel better.
This is why I have posted nothing on Facebook regarding this tragedy. I have seen a million posts that I agreed with politically but I feel like it would be exploitative if I posted them right now. When the tiny caskets have not even been lowered. When the whole story isn't even out and straight (good heavens, the brother was tarred and feathered and he wasn't even there!).
The point of all of this: HOLD YOUR BABIES. Don't wait for a tragedy/horrible/awful/devastating thing to happen. It might be too late....