We Forget

Yesterday, 26 families started their days with hugs and kisses and promises of plans for the weekend only to have their lives shattered and paths forever altered by the losses of their loved ones.  It is not an understatement to say that millions of lives were affected by the events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in some way shape or form.  Parents questioning the safety of their children's schools, children scared to go to school or to malls or movie theaters or anywhere else where public attacks have taken place as of late.  But we forget these acts of senseless violence and cruelty are happening every day. 

This morning's website of the local Chicago paper had many headlines dominating the tragedy in Connecticut but there were several other bylines of teenagers being shot and killed, murder-suicides, gang related deaths, abused children, and neglected children.  Many of us are so horrified by what we read in the paper or see in the news, so the solution becomes to stop reading the paper or turning on the news.  I can assure there's even more out there.  There are children that sit in the hospital all day long without visitors, families at the Ronald McDonald House who are soaking up the attention and freebies here at the house with little regard for their sick family member, and children who go to bed every night feeling hungry and unloved.  

The bottom line is outside of days like yesterday, many of us forget that this is going on around us every day. My question for each of you, is what are you going to do about it?  For the ones that put up a Sandy Hook prayer on your Facebook wall - what else are you going to do?  Are you going to get more involved in your children's school?  Are you going to carve out 20 minutes a day to sit at night with your children and read to them before bed?  If you don't have children, will you volunteer at group homes or shelters?  Try to become a mentor?  Potentially adopt a child that would otherwise grow up in a group home?  I, for one am tired of watching others in aghast at something terrible that happens and then its like water off a ducks back a week from now.  When will we take what has gone on day in and day out and remember that we could make a difference?