It happened today, as I began to prepare my daughter for her final performance of A Christmas Carol at Edmond Town Hall in Newtown, CT. The news came through of a shooting at the elementary school in Sandy Hook.
Last night, I stood in the Newtown General Store with my daughters, chatting with the musical director of the show, to be performed later that night. She is my daughter’s beloved music teacher. A friend. For the first time, my girls met her two little boys. We laughed as my youngest daughter and her youngest son shyly eyed each other.
This morning watching the news, I remembered where her sweet boys went to school.
I received news early that she was reunited with her older son. And she was waiting for her little one.
We waited and prayed and hoped for his safety all day. At 3pm, she was still waiting on news of the whereabouts of her little boy, the sweet little dark haired boy that stood next to us last night in the market, who sat a few rows behind us during the performance.
I finally received a call.
I long to go back to last night and warn them. I long to change the events of this day and give her back her child tonight and say no, this didn’t really happen because this could never happen here, in our little spot on the map. I long to take the pain from my friend who has been a ray of light in the lives of my own children. I long to give her back the light of her life, her beloved son.
And now I weep. Because there is nothing I can say. Because there is nothing I can do to make the events of this day different. Because there is nothing I can do to make anything okay.
I am powerless.
I can only weep for the loss of this one beautiful child, for the loss of all of the beautiful children that were taken far too soon from their mother’s arms.
I can only weep with them and for them and for as long as they need.
My blogging group has come together to help the family mentioned above. For more information on how you can help and make a donation, please see Fabulous Blogging.
