Reflections on School Shooting Tragedy

I have been sitting in front of my computer with tears in my eyes and sadness in my heart trying to come up with words to share my thoughts and reflections on yesterday’s school shooting tragedy in Connecticut.  The “right” words escape me.

When I first learned that a shooting had taken place in a Connecticut elementary school, I imagined a little kid bringing in a gun to show his/ her friends and it going off by accident.  It didn’t occur to me that anyone would have been killed let alone the way the tragedy actually played out.  As I learned the depth of the horror which took place my mind raced and hasn’t stopped yet.

As you all know, my niece and nephews mean the world to me.  My niece is in 4^th grade and my nephew is a first grader.  I cannot think of them and this tragedy without tears and a feeling of panic seizing my heart.  I am thankful that it was not a shooting at their school and that they are not facing the trauma which all of the children in Newtown, Connecticut are enduring. 

Tonight there are parents grieving the senseless loss of their children, but this tragedy extends far beyond the parents.  For each individual who died, there are also siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and neighbors who are left to grieve, there are teachers who have lost students and colleagues, but most of all, there are children and an entire community who have lost their innocence.

When I first talked to my grandmother following the shooting, she commented about the evil which is playing out in the world and situations like this certainly make us stop and focus on the bad things which happen, but I immediately replied to her that I see good every day too – in each of you!  Although it has required a conscious effort, as I watched and heard of the terror which unfolded yesterday, I have tried to focus equally on the good – such as the love, support, and prayers of people who are embracing and supporting this community.

As a counselor, I have tried to consider what the impact something like this would have on our community had this tragedy taken place in Worthington rather than Newtown.  I have tried to think about what my response would be, where I would go, how I could help.  I imagine many of you have shared similar thoughts.  It is a valuable reminder of the significance of safety drills (no matter how much we may have grumbled about them in the past), but more importantly it is a reminder of the need to look out for and care for those around you.

What do we learn from times like this?  My reflections on what I want to learn (and put into action) and what I hope you will learn from this too includes a deeper understanding of what truly matters in our lives, to treat others with respect and compassion, to speak up if you or someone else needs help dealing with personal difficulties, and the importance of expressing our appreciation for those in our lives with our words and our actions.

And so, before I close, I want to take a moment to make sure you know how grateful I am to have you in my life.  I cannot imagine let alone express the heartache and sadness I would feel if anything happened to any of you.  Thank you for allowing me to share in your lives.