This doesn't make sense.

I teach kindergarten.

I taught kindergarten today. With 2 sets of 22 children happily making gingerbread houses with their parents. All of them were blessed to be safe and return to their parents' arms at the end of the day.

I don't understand what happened today in Connecticut. Why someone wanted to and was ABLE to harm those innocent children. I'm watching the 20/20 special now and can feel a big pit in my chest opening up.

It could have been my classroom. And what would I do? I have no idea. I have no idea how I would protect the children who I consider my own for 8 hours of the day. And I kind of feel like I have to figure that out now. I was shaken up by other school shootings, but assumed that I was safe in a kindergarten room. Now my mind is racing, trying to figure out how I'd lock my door, where I'd put my students, how I would help them survive. I have a daughter, a husband. I don't want to be fearful of going to work every day.

Because we were sheltered from all of the news today, I knew only a few details until I got home. But as soon as I turned on the TV and saw the location, I realized that there was not six degrees of separation from these people experiencing the trauma. There was ONE. Newtown, CT. I just sent a Christmas card there today. To my dear cousin and faithful follower on this blog. She is a teacher in Newtown. I was so relieved to call my mom to find out that she is OK, but surely she is experiencing pain right now. This has to be a hard night.

I am thinking of you.

And my heart is absolutely breaking for the parents who have lost their babies. I hope that time and the world's kind thoughts can heal.

What I take from this is that something MUST change. Our system of keeping the public safe is broken and this is unacceptable.

FYI, I'm still deciding on what to do about running out of space for photos on blogger. The holidays have been busy around here and I will do a December recap, I think.

Comments

Desiree said…
I just want to hug you right now. I want to hug you and your baby, and my baby and never leave the house again.