I thought crying after dropping our girls off for school was reserved for the early days of September.
But here we are today, aching after dropping each daughter off.
My heart hurts in worry and fear of the unmentionable.
My heart breaks for those parents who, unknowingly, said their last goodbyes to their babies.
It’s all so wrong.
My anger, so raw, as I struggle to figure out what to do today and every day to protect.
To prevent.
To trust.
As Lisa Belkin said in Huff Post, “We can’t just grieve & hold our children close. We have to demand that our country earn the right to call itself a civilized nation..our central job as parents..is to keep our children safe. Make your demands heard”
As Fred Rogers said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers“.
The teachers & staff of Sandy Hook Elementary are my heroes. They saved lives and put the emotional & physical well being of the children above their own.
I dreamt of Kaitlin Roig, the elementary school teacher who kept telling her students, as she kept them hidden, how special they were. She wanted those words to be the last that they heard. Fred would have been proud. And in the end, she kept them safe.
Six other adults spared their lives for the sake of the children. Real heroes who fought against evil.
Is it even a question that assault Weapons or Semi-Automatic Firearms have no place in civilized society? Stricter gun laws & the removal of illegal guns from our streets would undoubtedly assist the situation.
While assembling this post, I finger the serial number that’s etched inside my Caliber bracelet..the same number that was on the gun used to create it. While I’m pleased to know that illegal guns were taken off the streets and transformed into something positive (& beautiful), it gives me a certain sense of pride knowing that a percentage of the money will fund Newark’s gun buyback programs (& beyond).
Will the Caliber Collection solve the gun violence issue? If it were only that simple. But it is a form of ACTION that HELPS.
We need people who put their strong beliefs into action. Through Jewlery for a Cause, Jessica Mindich has raised over $300,000 for some 300 schools & charities..that’ll do more good than plain old media verbiage.
As I ride my train into Grand Central, I pray for the families of Newtown and the heroes of Sandy Hook Elementary.
And I pray for my daughters to be safe and feel safe at school today and every day. Be well
