I have debated whether or not I should post about Sandy Hook and have decided that I should, as it has effected us, and friends and family (near and far) may want to know about our perspective of this tragedy. December 14, 2012 will be a day that we will always remember. In the morning, a 24 year old man entered Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 20 children and 6 adults before taking his own life. Sandy Hook is in Newtown, about two minutes from our home... We looked at a house that was 'zoned' for Ethan to attend this school. I kept having a feeling that I knew someone whose child attended that school, but I couldn't remember who it was (that's what a newborn does to your brain!) and then it hit me that it was my friend, Alissa's daughter, Emilie, who was a first grader there. I immediately called Alissa to see if Emilie was OK. When I didn't hear from her after a couple of hours, I called our RS president to see if she had heard. That is when she told me the devastating news: Emilie didn't make it. Shock. Disbelief. But I just saw her on Sunday! Alissa just took pictures of our new family of five! Robbie was Ben's P.A. just 3 days before when he was in the NICU! These things don't happen to people you know!
As days have turned into weeks, and weeks into months, the tragedy seems to have been forgotten by the rest of the country, but not by our area of Connecticut. Wherever you go there are reminders. The firehouse in our little town now was 26 little flags around the big flag; the local jewelry store has a sign under their store sign that has 26 angels; "Sandy Hook Loves Bethel" signs are displayed in store windows; decorated stars are on light posts that line Newtown's 'Main Street'; snowflakes that people have made from around the world decorate store front windows; billboards have signs that say things like "We Love Newtown", and so many others.
This morning Alissa called me and asked if I could watch her girls this afternoon and of course I agreed. Their two girls are just as sweet and as cute as can be and Ethan had so much fun entertaining them with piggy back rides, basketball 'games', and pushing them around the house in Owen's car. (Owen seemed to be a bit overwhelmed and they said that he was 'annoying them' haha!!) While we were eating they both had so much that they wanted to tell me that they were talking over each other - we talked about Tinkerbell, pixy dust, bunnies, and then Madelyn was talking about a dog that they knew -and out of the blue Sammie said "Emilie died." I know how important it is to Alissa that the girls don't forget their big sister, so I told them that she did, and she is with Jesus now. Madelyn then said that the dog 'is in heaven, too, and I think Emilie is playing with him.' My heart just about melted, hearing these words from two little girls who are so sweet and innocent. Oh, how I wish I could do something to bring Emilie back and heal my friend and her family's sorrow!!! It is so hard not to ask God "WHY?"
