As I’m sure you are, I’m stunned and saddened by the violence in Newtown. I’m not a parent, yet my heart has been aching for not only the parents of the young victims, but for parents every where. I am an aunt, a great-aunt, a sister, a cousin, a teacher, a human. Those roles give me some small sense of the magnitude of sorrow felt by affected families. I think about my students this semester, 19 per class, and I see their futures so bright ahead of them, and I see them as little kindergartners, their personalities already in place, the students in my classroom already present in those tiny little chairs. And my eyes well with tears at the thought of the beautiful little humans, gone.
There is much to do to change this course of violence in our country, and I don’t pretend to know the answer. I do know that I will listen carefully to ideas for change, and I will use my best critical and compassionate thinking to throw my voice behind solutions that seem reasonable and right to me.
In the meantime, Ann Curry posted this on Twitter:
Imagine if all of us committed to 20 mitvahs/acts of kindness to honor each child lost in Newtown. I’m in. If you are RTÂ
#20Acts
Having outlets for the kindess I want to offer the world at this time is important, and I like the sweetness of offering up 20 acts in honor of the children lost.
Will you join us in some way?