No Words

Some of you long-time readers may remember me talking about my friend Laura, who wrote the blog Piece of Cake. I actually still have her on my blogroll, even though she shut the blog down a while back. I know Laura because her kids went to Jude's school, and her husband Nick, was one of the leaders of Jude's Cub Scout pack.

Laura's blog was wonderfully funny and honest, and filled with amazingly beautiful photos of her four children. She was one of the people who most encouraged me to start blogging, and I got many readers from being placed on her blogroll. Not long ago, Laura closed down her blog because she wanted to focus all of her time and energy on her family.

Y'all may also remember Laura as the founder of Beach Friday, my weekly Camp Mama activity. Here are Laura and her youngest, Luke...

 

Beach Friday 2009 - Laura with her camera

 

Soon after this picture was taken, Laura and Nick packed up their four kids and moved across the country. They moved because of work opportunities for Nick, to be close to family, and to find a quieter small town life for their family in Connecticut. Newtown, Connecticut.

Yes, that's right. Laura's two youngest children, Annie and Luke, attend Sandy Hook Elementary school, and were there when the gunmen went on his rampage and murdered 26 people.

Ever since I heard about the murders on Friday, I have been a complete disaster. I know that most of you know what I mean, it's just so painfully, tragically, bafflingly wrong. We all experienced the shock, the disbelief, the gut-wrenching need to hold and kiss our own children, safe and blessedly far from the horror of the events in Connecticut.

But then, when I realized that it was the very school where Annie and Luke were, it just became so horribly personal. I can't seem to get myself together properly. I can't stop thinking about it. I have cried and cried.

And it's not as if Laura and I are terribly close friends or anything. We are friendly and like each other, but don't stay in touch. The last time I saw her was a couple of years ago in New York at BlogHer...

Usually, when a shocking, unthinkable event like this takes place, the rational, protective part of our minds is able to dissociate our life from the lives of those being effected. We're able to look at the pain and suffering from a distance, and feel sorry for them, but to not actually absorb and experience their pain.

But with this horrible tragedy, I cannot think of the children involved without seeing Annie and Luke's precious faces, and it has just hit home.

Please, please, after you've hugged your near and dear, and prayed yourself silly for all of the victims of this tragedy, please add an extra prayer for Laura and Nick and their kids. They really are lovely people.

I will leave you with a clip from CNN. Laura is as eloquent as ever. I can't figure out how to embed it, but please click on the link HERE.

Comments

[Aimee]

Yes, oh my. One of the worst days I've ever experienced. I can't imagine how horrible it would be with a personal connection.

Those teachers are amazing.

[Kim]

I am struggling with it as well, even though I know no-one in CT. Honestly, it feels worse than 9/11 to me.

[Jan's Sushi Bar]

Please tell us Laura's children are all right. Please.

It's also passing strange that Kim should compare this with 9/11 - the only thing Beloved said to me as we watched this tragedy unfold on Friday was, "The only thing I can compare this to is how I felt on 9/11."

Babies. 20 babies. You're right...there are no words.

[Arnebya]

I am staring at the wall. I can't do the news. I can't. I AM SCREAMING AT NOTHING. And everything. I am praying for the families but then I immediately get angry that I can't do more. Twenty tiny boxes with babies in them. Like Alexandra at Good Day, Regular People wrote, where the fuck do you even find 20 tiny coffins (she probably didn't say fuck but my mouth seems to find no other word to repeat.)

The purposefulness of this, the sheer determination with which this murderer acted, yes, it reminds me of 9/11 but it also seems much much worse.

[Alaina]

Oh my. Are you her children alright? My heart has just ached so much since Friday. It's just incomprehensible. I tried my best to write about it today but no words seemed appropriate.