What Has To Change?

Warning - a little long winded, but I have a lot on my mind that I wanted to share.

I have been struggling a lot over the past few days trying to comprehend what has happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School (and all over our country this weekend).  Those poor children and teachers that had to live through horror and evil.  I can't make sense of it.  I've cried a lot, I've been glued to the TV to try and understand what would make someone do such a horrible thing, especially to those that are so young, full of life and don't understand what evil really is.

Last night watching President Obama speak I thought about what I can do moving forward to help prevent this from happening again.  I obviously know this wasn't my fault, but it truly can happen anywhere.  The President made a comment along the lines of "what can we do as a nation to prevent this from happening?  Are we doing enough to protect our children?" And before he said it, I thought to myself No, I could probably do more. 

Brian and I talked a lot about raising our children someday and the life that we want them to have, the values we want to instill in them...the values that were so important in our upbringing and what has made us who we are today....Faith in Christ, respect, honesty, love, thoughtfulness, dignity, compassion.

But in my mind there is more we can do right now...we can set examples for people in our community, talk with the kids in our neighborhood, be a helping hand to those in need, be respectable, honest, loving people to everyone in our community, especially kids, to show them what being a loving, caring, respectable citizen is truly about.  It doesn't matter what religion, race, ethnicity anyone is.  We all have to live in this world and we all have to do our part to make it a healthy place, a place that we want our children to grow up in and live to be happy, healthy adults and have children of their own. 

Last night I had night mares about those kids and what they went through.  No child should ever have to worry about real monsters in this world. 

I think its simple:  Treat others as you want to be treated.  It's sad that it takes horrible tragedy for people to "wake up" and realize that a law, or actions need to change.  I think I am a respectable person, I care about my neighbors and my community, I look out for my family.  But it wouldn't hurt if I did just a little bit more.  Maybe its volunteering at a school, helping the homeless shelter once a month, spending more time with family, I don't know what it is exactly.  I just feel like I need to do more, that I want to do more.