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A Time of Reflection, a Time of Life

school shooting
Tragedy befalls us at every turn. A look at the news this week and the tragic school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary demonstrates that life is precious, fleeting, in a moment gone from your arms. But it seems that as a society we are befalling a string of personal tragedies, economic and personal, temporary and forever. 

This morning I reflect on life, on death, on tragedy, on pain. I work on a Christmas gift for a child that was born premature and lived all but a few minutes in his young parents' arms. This week we receive news that a grandmother is in hospice. This morning one of my parents is in the hospital, a thousand miles away. 

Life, does it need to be so tragic? We are spoonfed a million images daily that insist that we need to be happy, that things and beauty and money will bring us happiness. Could it be that the natural human condition is struggle? Could it be that happiness is only one facet of an ever complex reality, existence. Our society insists that everyone must be happy all of the time, that everything must be perfect, that your life, your relationships, your appearance, your job...it all must reside in pure perfection or something is wrong with you.

But the reality is that life is tragic. Life is beautiful. Life is simultaneously a bittersweet happiness.

I challenge you to bury regrets and hate, bury unforgiveness. Forget about your righteous pride and pain. Embrace life. Embrace your family, your loved ones, your friends. Embrace your country and your society. The only way to make a bit of difference in this fallen world is to reach out to each other, tears falling freely, and hearts open to change, acceptance, and love. 

A thousand prayers for the thousand souls lost today and every day.
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