there has been an ongoing turmoil in my heart and head
since hearing the tragic news last Friday.
to be truly honest …
I was recovering from anesthesia when I was told about the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut…
children cut down in the “safety” of their own classroom…some watching their classmates and teacher die…horrific!
an anesthesia induced fog initially protected me from the reality of yet another
senseless shooting…
when I finally awoke and turned on the television I could not believe
or
rather I did not want to believe what I was hearing.
my first thought…
my granddaughter must be shielded from the news…
as the days have passed
I have prayed and touched all my family…
many thoughts have crossed my mind and continue to do so.
life events have surfaced
as they always do this time of year.
I am thinking of all of my family
especially those who are no longer with us to celebrate this holiday…
I am tearful at times…
but I always return to a feeling, instilled in me by my grandmother…
when bad things happened..
“life is still good”
I just have to remember her words…
she was a devoted mother and grandmother…
“in service to others”
the words of St. Ignatius Loyola
as a wife, mom, and grandmother…nurse and social worker
I also try to serve others…
this morning these were my thoughts….
years ago, as a young nurse, I took care of some little angels…
one…a young teenage girl with non-Hodgkins lymphoma died as her parents kept vigil.
that morning I learned that parents who lose a child cannot be consoled,,,
I thought about their painful loss as I tearfully prepared their young daughter’s body and delivered her to a cold slab in the hospital morgue.
not long after this young girl’s funeral, I met her mom in the grocery store.
I told her I was so sorry …
through tears, she thanked me for the care that I gave to her family and daughter…
and then…
she said something I have never forgotten…
“nothing you or anyone can say can ever justify my daughter’s death”
we hugged…
and went our separate ways in NYC…
Susan Stiffelman: 14 Tips for Managing Anxiety After the Shootings.
A Letter To Sandy Hook Victim, 6-Year-Old Jack Pinto, From His Best Friend (PHOTO).
Talking to Your Kids About the Newtown Tragedy | World of Psychology.
‘I Placed [My Son’s] Face In That Room’: How Parents Cope With The Newtown Shooting.
I just saw the news release from Oceanhouse Media. They have set the book app The Kissing Hand free to support the families in Newtown, CT. I did not get a chance to download the app yet, but knowing Oceanhouse Media and knowing the print book was a New York Times bestseller, it should be a good one. I want to pass it on to everyone when we all can use some reassurance of love and support!