December 14, 2012 was a powerful day that will not easily be forgotten. A knot twisted in my stomach that Friday, as my emotions ranged from shock to sorrow, to anger, and back all around again.
Learning of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, a charming place, not too much unlike our hometown, was just too much for me to even fathom. Along with the rest of America, I was just dumbfounded and left plain wondering, “Why?”
The media spewed out countless hours of motive speculation, and snuck in snippets on the future of gun control, mental health, and public security. Then the backlash for all the attention the villain received quickly followed. The focus on the crime itself seemed to cast such a dark gloom on everything as America tried to walk through the rest of the day. As a nation, I don’t think we had felt so much collective and simultaneous pain since September 11, 2001.
As the days have passed, the true power of that indelible Friday has begun to surface, at least in my own little world. The situation will never be completely void of the darkness that consumes an event like this, but I feel redemption is brewing amongst those affected, at least from afar. It could be what every person in Newtown would plead for us to carry permanently on from this unimaginable situation. You see, what one person meant for evil has the potential to be overcome by an incalculable amount of good.
The power of that day was not in the depth of disparity that raged from one soul. No, thankfully, the magnitude of this whole experience is the softening and awakening happening to people touched by the lives at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I believe we all owe it to those blessed souls to let this moment break us out of our numbness and force us to make every day count.
We will surely, as a nation, need to continue a serious dialog on the aspects of how we can safeguard ourselves and keep another catastrophic event from happening like it did December 14. Alongside these discussions, I pray a stronger, more life-changing passion erupts in all American’s souls, as a respect for close community is revalued. Maybe it’s time to get to know your neighbors. Introduce yourself, even if it will be awkward because you’ve lived there five years and never met. Invite your friends over for dinner, and ask some deeper questions. Linger with your extended family these holidays, and laugh more.
It’s time we come together as Americans to build one another up, make our days count, and let our own lives honor the ones that were lost that day. Our little steps are just a small way we can let love win, and begin to drown out the darkness.