Hug Your Kids Today.

This morning our Northeast Ohio community is asking, “Why?”

Why would a young man feel that the only way to express his anger and rage was to bring a gun to school and shoot five of his classmates.

I cannot imagine a pain more horrible than the loss of one of my children. Parents never expect to outlive their children. No parent ever imagines that when they are sending their son or daughter off to school in the morning that that is the last time that they will see them alive. That there won’t be any more hellos or goodbyes or “I love you Mom”.

My heart is breaking.

My heart is breaking for the families of the two young men who have died. For the family of the young man who still clings to life and for the families of the two students who were wounded but will, hopefully, recover.

And my heart is also breaking for the family of the young man who stood up yesterday morning and calmly shot his classmates in the cafeteria. My prayer is that the community anger that may come will not be directed at them. That we would remember that they would never have wished this on any parent and that they are asking why as well.

I am shaken by the thought that there were times when I set the progeny out the door to school and there were harsh words between us. Maybe it was a rough morning. Maybe things hadn’t gone right. Maybe I was just a pain in the butt crabby momma that morning. To think that the last interaction that we might have had together was angry and not, “I love you” brings tears to my eyes.

Remember, no matter how ticked you are at your kids (and you KNOW you are at times) do not send them out that door without making sure that your last words to them are loving. And take the time today to hug them extra hard, even if they act like a crabby cat and don’t want you to. You are bigger.

I am sending big electronic hugs to the progeny.

I know from the bottom of my heart that the parents of Russell King and Daniel Parmertor would tell you the same thing.

And pray for these families. The families of the young men, full of promise, who are now gone. The families of the young people who are still in the hospital. And the family of the shooter, TJ Lane.

So many small acts leading to an explosion and nothing will ever the same.