Unbelievable

Today as most of you already know, a mass shooting happened at an elementary school in Connecticut... And as of now the loss is 18 children, and 9 adults. My heart aches for those families, and especially for the parents, sending your children off to school so that they can do bigger and better things with their lives. And in one moment a very sick and twisted person has flipped your entire life upside down. I am so incredibly sorry.

My 14 year old sister tells me all the time I'm too paranoid, that I'm too protective... I don't want her at the mall by herself, at a concert, jogging around the block. She laughs at my fears and tells me to "relax" but she is the love of my life and I can't imagine what would happen if I lost her... This overwhelming feeling that no matter what you do, no matter how careful you are, anyone at anytime could just decide to take yours or the lives of someone you love... It's unbelievable. This fear, how do you handle the fear?

You know in California I used to worry that someone would "dognap" my Husky lol, I was told it happened a lot out there and it really made me anxious... Cut to both my dogs having real time GPS locaters on them that I can track via my smart phone. Yes, I will most likely be the parent who puts a "leash" on my child in public. And although my dogs are my world I can't imagine the fear that a parent must feel for their life's blood, the anxiety. It makes me terrified for the generations to come, wishing we could put our loved ones and children in a bubble to protect them from all the evil in the world, when we know we cant. Days like today remind you to be grateful, to not take a single day for granted, to tell the people you love, that you love them every day.

I know that tomorrow life will go on and eventually begin again... People say that the only way to stop the fear is by living. I know that if I never flew on a plane again, went to a movie theater, a shopping mall, I'd be letting them win. You find out who you are in times like these, you remember what matters most in your life and what doesn't. Please hug your children tonight, your family & your loved ones. We are very lucky to be safe in our own homes tonight, and our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this despicable act of violence.




"...There's one thing we can never be prepared for, and that's the fear. How do we handle the fear? My son Lucas once asked me if the 'bad guys' were going to blow us up. How do you answer that? How do you explain terrorism to your kid? How do you explain that at any time, any place, someone could just decide to take us all out? And that's why terrorism works, because we can't explain it, we can't predict it, it can happen anytime, anywhere, by anyone. So, all we can do is trust that law enforcement has our backs, and then we let it go. Because the only way to stop the fear is by living. Just living, being with your family, your friends, your community. Look, there is nothing we can do about it - except to seize the day. We live while we can, laugh while we can, love while we can. And that, my friends, is how we beat terrorism..." Pamela (Army Wives)