The drive to school this morning...
So, I actually debated on whether or not to write a blog on this, but I'll be honest, I had a hard time sleeping last night, and I feel like I need to write this, if for no one else but me. I stayed awake thinking about the recent victims of the Las Vegas shooting, their families, the fact that they were just living their lives, and out of nowhere, someone else decided for them, that they wouldn't be going home that night. Much like how I also felt after what happened in Orlando last year. My heart hurts for them. And it made me sick to my stomach knowing that my kids and grand-kids are growing up in a world full of so much hate.
I knew that I would have to talk to my kids about it, but like many parents, I didn't really know how to go about having that conversation with them. I didn't know how much, or how little they had heard about it. We try to shield our kids from the bad things going on around them, we want them to feel safe, and we want them to not have to worry or be in fear. But this morning on the way to school, my oldest said, "Mama, did you hear about what happened yesterday at that concert, we heard about it at school?" At that moment, I realized it was time to have that talk, that I was dreading. But I answered, and asked them if they had any questions, and how they felt about it, etc...They did, they asked, and I answered honestly.
The one question I could not answer was the, Why? And I don't think that anyone can answer that, because I just cannot fathom the why. There is no justification or type of understanding that will ever make what happened okay. It was so senseless.
The only thing that came to mind when talking to them, and the only thing I could say to them was, "There will always be bad people who do bad things, no one really understands why they do these things, and you can't control it, I wish it wasn't that way, but there are also so many more good people in the world, and all you can really do is control what kind of person you are."
And waking up this morning, I have heard so many amazing stories of the good. People opening up their businesses, and homes to those fleeing, others driving the injured to the hospital, because there weren't enough ambulances, strangers shielding others from harm, people picking up the injured to carry them to safety, and the police and first-responders running into the unknown to help those in need. Among many other stories.
So tonight, I will share those stories with my kids, to show them that even though bad people do bad things, there are so many amazing people in the world still.
Focus on the good.
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
I knew that I would have to talk to my kids about it, but like many parents, I didn't really know how to go about having that conversation with them. I didn't know how much, or how little they had heard about it. We try to shield our kids from the bad things going on around them, we want them to feel safe, and we want them to not have to worry or be in fear. But this morning on the way to school, my oldest said, "Mama, did you hear about what happened yesterday at that concert, we heard about it at school?" At that moment, I realized it was time to have that talk, that I was dreading. But I answered, and asked them if they had any questions, and how they felt about it, etc...They did, they asked, and I answered honestly.
The one question I could not answer was the, Why? And I don't think that anyone can answer that, because I just cannot fathom the why. There is no justification or type of understanding that will ever make what happened okay. It was so senseless.
The only thing that came to mind when talking to them, and the only thing I could say to them was, "There will always be bad people who do bad things, no one really understands why they do these things, and you can't control it, I wish it wasn't that way, but there are also so many more good people in the world, and all you can really do is control what kind of person you are."
And waking up this morning, I have heard so many amazing stories of the good. People opening up their businesses, and homes to those fleeing, others driving the injured to the hospital, because there weren't enough ambulances, strangers shielding others from harm, people picking up the injured to carry them to safety, and the police and first-responders running into the unknown to help those in need. Among many other stories.
So tonight, I will share those stories with my kids, to show them that even though bad people do bad things, there are so many amazing people in the world still.
Focus on the good.
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
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