Following the the unthinkable, horrific tragedy in Newtown Connecticut on Friday that stole the precious, innocent lives of 20 sweet, beautiful children, I cannot begin to even fathom what you, the parents of those babies, must be going through. The excruciating sadness that that you must feel every moment of every day in the wake of losing your baby; your life.
I have a toddler—he's 2. I haven't felt what it feels like to send him off to school alone or send him on a school bus. I haven't yet felt what it feels like to wait outside school doors eager to hear about his day. And I haven't yet had to worry about him being bullied during lunch hour or whether or not he eats the lunch that I pack for him. And I haven't had to wonder whether or not he is safe and looked after day after day at school.
What I have felt though is a love so powerful that words can not describe it. I've felt unbearable fear when I've had to rush him to the hospital. I've felt that sudden panic when he disappears for a moment in the shopping mall. I've felt what it feels like to be a parent. And the feelings are so excruciatingly powerful, they hurt.
As a parent who knows how deeply you loved your child, and as a parent who, like you, would do anything—including give my own life—to protect my child, my only hope is that you, the parents of these angels, know that you are not alone. Parents all over the world are feeling pain, sorrow, and heartbreak for you, your families and your beautiful babies.
Knowing that there is a possibility that our children could leave this world before we do, that they are at risk of being hurt when we are not there, that we could one day feel the same unbearable sadness and devastation that you feel now, allows us to "go there" and carry a slight tiny fraction of the heavy pain and sadness that you must be bearing. I wish more than anything in the world that I could bear more for you. I wish that each parent in this world could take away an ounce of your sadness and hurt so that your hearts could heal sooner.
Just know that you are not alone—millions of loving parents around the world are praying for you, shedding tears for you, thinking about you and grieving with you.
Love, a fellow loving parent,
Sarah
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