To my children

This morning on our car ride to day care my thoughts were wandering to the tragedy in Boston. The radio news guy announced that an eight year old child was among the 3 dead from this horrible event. My daughter , who I didn't even realize was listening says "momma if he was only eight, why did he die". Choking back tears, I said to her "I don't know baby, I don't have an answer for that". After I dropped her off inside, I cried. I cried for the mother who will never get to kiss her son goodnight again. I cried for the family, who will probably never have an answer to the "why". I cried for the people who lost legs, and arms, and hearing, and sight. I cried for the whole city, the whole country. I realize that no matter what they discover in the next few weeks, there will never be an answer to the "why" something so ugly like this could happen.

To my children,

I'm sorry. I am sorry that there are ugly people, who do hateful ugly things in this world. I am sorry that it seems like we aren't safe to walk down the street without looking over our shoulders. I am sorry that at this moment there mothers and fathers laying awake at night, worried about their babies, who are soldiers fighting for our freedom. I am sorry that the world of rainbows and butterflies that you bring home in your artwork is not the world that we live in. But, I want you to know, that the world is not all ugly. Yes, there are bad people, who will do bad things to good people without reason, but there are also lots and lots of good people left. There are firemen that run into burning houses to rescue kittens, there are police men who pick up stray dogs, and give homeless people shoes to wear. there are people who do simple things, like pay for the coffee of the person behind them, or help old ladies get things off shelves. There is beauty everywhere in this world, and I do not want you to lose your innocence by focusing on the bad things. So while you sleep at night, dreaming of transformers, and hello kitty, and slip and slides, and bubbles and rainbows, I will do the worrying. I will cry for the mothers who do not get to watch their children sleep. I will cry for the ugly things, that you do not need to know about. Until you are mommies, and daddies, and then you will do the same for your babies.
Love, your mommy

My heart aches for everyone involved in this terrible event. My heart aches for everyone going through any kind of horrible moment in their lives. I can only hope, and pray that in the light of all of the ugly, horrible stories that are being strewn across all forms of media, that the good prevails. Let us not give whoever did this the satisfaction of sitting back and watching the carnage  Let us show that despite all the ugly, there is MUCH MUCH more beauty than they could ever scar with the ugliness.

"it is only in the darkness, that we can see all the stars"