It's a Hug your kids kind of day...

What is this world coming to?  Unfortunately I have asked myself this more than desired.  Today a lunatic 20 year old stormed into an elementary school and killed 20 kindergartners... 20!!!!  When I first heard about it, I thought, no, that can't be correct... then the reality hit me that this was true and I couldn't get to my girls fast enough.  These kids were 5 and 6 years old... Lauren is 6 years old.  All I could picture today was all of the times I have volunteered up at my girls' school and the kindergarten teachers walking their kiddos to lunch or to a special like art, music, guidance.... and these adorable little people who have such big wonderful smiles and are just starting there journey in life, waving at me and saying "hi Lauren's mom" or "Hi Elise's mom"... and it was taken away.  Not only from the families of the children who were brutally killed but the children who witnessed it, they have lost their innocence and will be forever damaged.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/14/15907407-elementary-school-massacre-20-children-among-28-killed-in-connecticut-slaughter?lite

So today as the Christmas season is upon us and we are supposed to be joyful and thankful, we are tested.  Tested in our Faith of how could God let this happen, how could God not protect these children??  But I know in my heart that this is not His doing, this is evil.  I pray with a very heavy heart for these families, for the children, for the community of Newtown, CT.  I pray for strength and courage.  I looked at my husband tonight and said that I could learn to deal with the loss of a child if it were an illness, it would be horrific, but I could do it with God's help, but to lose a child to such brutal violence, I don't know how I could possibly recover from that.

So now I am going to take my cousin Kate Peck's advice from Facebook today;

Kate Peck

Joel and I are going skiing tonight. I am going to put the awful news in the background for now and think about all the incredible goodness there is in this world. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it ... But there is a lot of it.

 and look for all of the good that is out there and remember that there is SOOOO much more good than evil and that is what I have to focus on... the laughter of my kids, the Christmas magic, the love in my family and friends, and in all of that.. find strength and know that He will watch over my family and that is all I can do... I am handing this over to God as I hope everyone else does as well.

Peace to all.

Melinda