Heavy Heart

Today we had a great day at the Nutcracker with the fam and I uploaded a bunch of pictures and am excited to share them. But my heart is heavy and I can't stop thinking about the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday. I just listend to President Obama's speech and it just does not seem possible that this really happened.

On Friday, I was actually working at Allie's school during the shooting and horrific events that were taking place. I had no idea what was happening. We were in chapel with all the little kids singing their hearts out, saying prayers and enjoying a normal day at school. I can't even imagine what the teachers, parents, students, first responders, ect. were feeling that day in Connecticut. Allie loves going to school. She talks about what they will do on our way in the car, hops out of the car without a care in the world, high fives Mr. Smith (the principal) as she walks from the parking lot to class, learns lots and has a wonderful time, just as many of the children were as they went to school. Please take a moment of silence for the lives that were taken on Friday.

I also keep thinking about the shooter and say to myself..what in the hell was he thinking? How on earth could he do this?....he wasn't thinking or maybe he was....he was broken. And he was broken, long before Friday.... It does not excuse his actions in any way, and I have not read a lot about him, but anyone who does what he did, was not mentally stable. A friend of mine shared this link on FB and I think it is a article worth reading Huffington Post Article We all know someone who is "that kid" or could become "that kid". Take action now. If you think something does not "seem" right with your child, or student  or brother, or sister, or grandchild, or cousin, etc... your feeling if probably correct. Mental illness is very real, and comes in all shapes, sizes, and from all socio-economic backgrounds.

Kids want to do well, they want to feel loved, they want to do what is right. You never know how you can make a difference in ones life. Be a role model, get involved in school activities,  go to sporting events, talk at the dinner table, read a story, tell your kids you love them, have boundaries, help them with homework, build forts together, act silly, walk around the block together, do what ever you can to connect. Make time for what matters. You will never know how much it means to them.