In light of Hurricane Sandy and the recent massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I think we are all struggling with being jolly. There are families overcome with unimaginable grief while others are immersed in holiday shopping. How can we wrap our minds around this? We yearn to feel cheerful while partaking in the holiday spirit, and yet many of us find it difficult to make sense of it all.
We’ve watched the victim’s families gather as one, relying on their respective faiths to get them through. We cannot pretend to understand how they feel, yet our hearts are breaking too. Our prayers and thoughts can support, but helping them move on from this? How can they?
For those families that are fortunate to have other children spared from the shooting, they will go on. They must. They are strong. We hope our prayers console their pain. And for the rest of us shocked by the tragedy, we have all been touched in some way. It’s every parent’s nightmare, but it is also any person’s nightmare.
As we celebrate this holiday season, we have every more reason to be grateful for our children and family members that we love. The focus of the holiday has now shifted. The hugs and kisses are the only gifts that matter.