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.

Taking A Break From The Regular Humor

I had another blog post all ready to go today but I think I will hold off on it for a few days in light of Haiti. I just had a few things that I really needed to say to you.

I need to say right off the bat that I have not been to Haiti. But I have been to enough third world countries to know, in a general sense, what Haiti is like. And to imagine what would happen if the ground underneath homes and buildings and business started to shake violently. We here in the USA have absolutely no concept of what shaky, “substandard” construction is like. We live in a country where there are building codes and inspectors and building permits and heaven forbid that you even put up a shed in the back yard without the local authorities giving their approval and coming to look at it and measuring it and telling you that it meets accepted building code standards.

In many countries if you want to put up a building, or a house, or a hovel you put it up.

Outside Lima, Peru.
The homes on this hill are all “extra-legal” meaning that someone decided that they wanted to build a house/shack there and did so. Then others decided to follow and eventually there was a community. No real construction codes, different buildings made of varying materials. If the ground started shaking these would all come down.

India would be the same. I visited in buildings where I would not want to be if the earth started to shake violently. They would be down in part or in whole in no time flat. And these places are teaming with people.

All this to say Pray! Pray for the people of Haiti. Pray for the volunteers who are even now making preparations to go and to help. Pray for the people who are right now “boots on the ground” in what may shape up to be one of the largest natural disasters that we have ever known.

If you want someone specific to pray for then pray for Katie and Ben Kilpatrick (<- a link to their blog). Katie is my college roomie’s daughter. She and her new husband have felt the call to serve in Haiti and moved there on Dec. 29, 2009 to teach at a school in Port-au-Prince. We are praising the Lord, who is mighty in all things, that they are safe and unharmed. But the situation is very bad.

The Big Picture

We all know that I love pictures and photography. One of the sites that I check on a regular basis is "The Big Picture" which comes out of the Boston Globe. It is well worth the effort. The most recent photo essay is on the disputed Iranian election. Striking.

Be careful to treat your waitress nicely the next time you go to Waffle House

Waitress shoots Waffle House customer over food dispute

And where did these people learn grammar? Or didn't as the case may be.

Zac Sunderland

I don't remember where I first encountered Zac Sunderland and his amazing trip, which he is still on. It has been an emotional journey and I don't even know the young man or his family.

Zac is a 16 year old American who is currently attempting to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe ALONE by yacht. Yup the age is correct, he is only 16. I follow his blog and his journey and it is well worth a stop over there. I can't imagine the courage of his parents in not only letting him do this but in encouraging him! My girls will tell you that I tend to panic when they haven't called in on time or are late getting back. Imagine if your 16 year old was just about to sail through the Strait of Torres and you can't raise him on the SAT phone!

Are we safer?

We can debate about the Iraq War if you want but if you think that we are less safe here in the US and abroad in US interests then you need to read this excellent piece by John Hinderaker of Powerline blog

Very interesting.