Sadness and perspective

Things have been a but glum around our house.  Due to a lack of funding at my company I was laid off and some changes Davis had been anticipating have not materialized.  My time has been spent looking for jobs and being totally stressed out rather than preparing for the holidays.  The little bubble that is our household has seemed pretty bleak.  However, the tragedies of the last few days have put our hardships in perspective.

Over the past several days a number of people have been senselessly killed.  I have been struggling with the murders in Newtown.  The killing of 6 and 7 year old children and the staff at the school is just horrifying.  When I picked up Oliver from school on Friday and saw the joy in the faces of the children sitting in circle, singing their good-bye song - it brought me to tears.  What the parents, siblings, friends and family of those who lost their in Newtown must be going through - I can not comprehend.

And then this morning we learned that a friend was killed last night in a car accident.  She and her fiancé and another friend were in a car that was struck by a drunk driver.  Mary always had a smile on her face and always went out of her way to help others.  Mary was the one who was the person on the boat for Davis during is Boston Light Swim - she got up at an ungodly hour and spent hours in the rain and fog feeding him and giving him water.  She smiled the whole time.  Mary had a new grandson, and was so happy with Jim.

As a parent I do everything I can to keep my children and my family safe and loved.  The randomness and just plain heinous nature of these deaths makes me realize I can't protect those I love and care about - or those that look at adults to be protected.

I take a step back from our "problems" and I give Oliver and Henni extra snuggles and hot chocolate, I think of those I love and care about and I wish I could think of a way to wrap everyone in a protective blanket.

My thoughts go out to those who have lost friends, family, and loved ones.