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Health & Fitness

25 Days of Giving: Day 14

Giving our love and prayers to the families of Newtown...

 

Today the children and families of Newtown experienced a horrific tragedy. The small town will never be the same. Connecticut will never be the same, and the Nation is forever changed.

As the news hit, I think everyone who heard what had happened stopped in disbelief.

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The morning started out for us in Washington, DC, where we stayed overnight after driving seven long hours, getting in late. The girls were sleepy so we had a slow morning as we prepared mini toiletry packs on our hotel beds. I had made arrangements to deliver these “wish list” items to the Rachael’s Women’s Center, a day shelter for homeless women providing them with food and a safe place to stay, with programs and benefits to develop their independence. As we left the hotel, my youngest asked me if her friends were in school and what were they doing, she missed them. We had taken the girls out of school today and Monday to travel to Washington for a day, and then on to Virginia to visit my sister. Yes, I said they were in school, but you will see them again on Tuesday. With bags in one hand, and winter hats in another (it was a bit warmer than I had originally thought) we walked the five short blocks to the women’s center, a small row house, filled with women.

We were greeted by Patrice, a wonderful woman with a kind demeanor, who took a break from playing cards, to say hello to us. She talked to the girls, thanking them for bringing the items, and said she would hand them out this afternoon. It was a quick visit and as we left, the girls said Happy Holidays to the ladies, and we were off. Walking back to the hotel, we talked about the women who came into the center, and why it is so important to have places like that. I think we are adding Patrice to our Christmas card list this year.

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An hour later, the girls and I we were walking down King Street in Old Town, Alexandra  shopping for Christmas gifts, when I received the following text from WFSB News: “At least one child killed in Newtown school shooting.” I stopped walking, and told the girls we needed to stop for a minute. I quickly logged onto the news site and by 10:55am they were streaming live coverage. I didn’t want to scare the girls, but I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Text after text was coming through, one more horrible then the next. By 12:40pm it was multiple children, and by 12:46pm they were reporting 27 dead. I just stood there, grabbed the girls and sobbed. I tried really hard not to cry in front of them, but I couldn’t help it. I explained to them that some children were killed and we needed to say a special prayer for them. And for the mommies and daddies who will never get to hug and kiss them again. We got into the car and drove to my sister’s house. On I-66 we said a special prayer.

As parents we try and protect our children from harm. We make sure they wear helmets when riding a bike, seatbelts when driving in a car, and hats when it's cold out. We teach them right from wrong, and not to talk to strangers. We help them with their homework, and put bandaids on scrapes when fall. We have playdates and parties, time outs and breakfast-for-dinner nights. We spend hours helping with homework projects, and insist they hold our hands when crossing the street. But there comes a point when have to let go - mostly because we are not allowed to enter kindergarten with them- but the reality is we can not be there with them every single minute of the day. The years go by, and before you know it, the school year is over and it's on to the next year. We smile when they make friends and are proud of them when they make the "Wall of Honor". They sing their hearts out in the winter concert, and spend their evenings on the soccer field or dance studio. We try and protect them, but they are exposed to so much more, so we hope and we pray that what we have taught them has sunk in, and they will remember to wear a helmet, look both ways before crossing the street and use their manners. But how can we prepare them for a tragedy such as this? How can anyone prepare for something like this?

So, so sad. So horrific. So unimaginable.

I told the girls our giving for today, would be prayers. Lots of prayers. Prayers for the children and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary who are now in heaven, prayers for the families who will miss them and to the teachers who did their best to protect them. As I hugged the girls tonight before bedtime, I told them how much I loved them and how very much we had to be thankful for. We gave more hugs, and said more prayers.

May God bless the littlest angels and their families. 

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