Most nights, after bath time I nurse the baby and then put him right down to bed. He doesn’t need to be rocked to sleep, so I’m usually happy to stick him in the crib, give him a kiss. and have a few hours of adult time before I crash. Tonight, we had bath time, Geoff read him a book and got him changed, and I nursed him. But I just couldn’t put him down right away. Instead, we snuggled up and rocked, and I told him how much I love him and that I will always take care of him.
Tragedies like today’s shooting in Connecticut are always horrifying. But as a new mom, this news hit me like a freight train. What would have been a terrible story to hear under any circumstances took on a whole new meaning to me — as I imagine it did for many new parents. The thought of losing a child is unfathomable, let alone one at that young age.
My thoughts are with the families of the victims of this senseless act, the families of the surviving children who will never be able to erase the memories, and the families who have been touched by similar instances of violence in the past and are likely reliving those moments today.
There will be many many politically-driven conversations in the coming days and weeks about how these killings could have been prevented. But for now, let’s just focus on those sweet children that were unfairly taken away today.
Whether you have children or not, hug your loved ones a little bit closer this weekend.
