I have been trying to avoid news media for the past couple of days.
I walked past a newspaper stand at the grocery store and saw the headline, “The Victims” and in the corner a beautiful blond haired, little girl. I loudly said, “No” and raced past.
I am crippled by the news of last week’s mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.
I can’t write about it, there are no words.
Deep breath.
Here are some ways I can honour my kids today;
- Don’t turn on the tv while I’m making dinner because it’s easier for me to get things on the table. Engage in conversation, let the kids help prepare, set the table, tell me about their spelling words for the week. If we eat ten minutes later than usual, none of us will starve.
- When Hanna tells me she’s nervous about going to school because she has a math test, resist the temptation to tell her I’m even more nervous about her going to school but for an entirely different reason.
- If the girls argue over who gets to wear the vest Grandma made for them today, take a picture and show them how beautiful they are and send it to Grandma so she can see how much her generosity is adored by her Granddaughters.
- Encourage play dates. I despise play dates but I want to be sure every child has a friend, someone at their level, with their interests they can count on to talk to if things ever seem bigger than they are. Everyone needs a great friend. If you don’t have one, leave it with me, I will connect you with someone who has similar tastes and interests (for a small fee).
- I can take them skating after school. No homework, no tv, no distractions. Just three kids and their Mom listening to music and gliding around in the open air. When I say gliding I mean, hunching forward holding Chloe (who calls it “skate-walking”)until my third vertebrae shifts and I am removed from the ice on a stretcher.
Still, I’ll be smiling wondering (and not for the first time) how I got to be so incredibly lucky.
