I live far away from Newtown, but I feel their pain. I felt the fear and anxiety that the parents and loved ones must have felt while searching for their children and wondering if they were safe. I cried at the joy of seeing parents walk away with their unharmed children. I wept for the families who lost their sweet babies.
I cried for the children who feared for their lives and those who lost their friends and teachers. I cried for the teachers and other school administrators who tried to protect the students that they love and nurture every day.
Being a children’s mental health professional who worked with trauma victims, I know the deep scars a tragedy like this can leave. Those inside the school, the parents, families, first responders, the surrounding community, and even those us who watch from a distance on our television screens have scars left behind from this event. A tragedy like this impacts us all. Make sure to talk about it if you need to and ask for help if you need it. Please take care of yourselves, hug your children, and turn off the news coverage.
There are few words that can help in times like these, but this quote from Mister Rogers helps me see the good in such evil.
Thank you to all the “helpers”.
I was surprised at how upset I was when hearing of the tragedy. I think it affected me more now that I am a parent than it would have done previously. I felt sick for the parents who had lost their children. I turned the TV off. I couldn’t bare to see the agony on the faces of the families involved. I retreated from the coverage and focussed on spending time with my precious son. But my thoughts lingered with those who can no longer do that. Your post has expressed how I have been feeling. Thank you.