Life has a way of rapidly spinning into one colossal twister. A twister of obligations and deadlines spinning faster than we can track. We bend and move, we adjust and accommodate to be the best we can without forgetting or faulting.
In the wake of a disaster, all of our twisters cease to spin. The building momentum slows down and time immediately freezes. The appointments you rush for seem insignificant. The piling to-do lists you write become nothing more than pieces of paper. The twister freezes.
Everything froze for the people involved in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut on December 14. Nothing seemed greater than the pain of a lost loved one. As a teacher, while watching the news I carried a heavy heart and a close connection. While not a parent, I cannot imagine the loss of a child. I cannot imagine the unbearable pain that would make taking even the shortest breath hurt. Our mundane tasks and our selfish wishes have no place in a time like this, so we unselfishly pick up the pieces. Visit our kids at school a little more. Work one less hour to spend one more with someone who matters. Throw our to-do lists away and take time to mourn, help and pray. We can unite together to try and make sense of it all, honor the ones who helped and those who passed. Disasters like the one in Connecticut stop our twisters and open the skies for reflection, redemption and eventually peace and clarity.
Casey Rowley is a preschool teacher and freelance writer. For comments or questions please email caseymrowley@yahoo.com.