A Prayer for the Families of the Slain Children, Teachers, and Administrators at Sandy Hook Elementary School

As a mother and a healer, I am so very sad today.

You see the children of Newton, CT are so exactly like my own children, their teachers so exactly like my daughter’s teachers that it’s really hard for me to come to grips with this tragedy.

Today, I would simply like to take this space that I hold as a healing space for all mothers and their children to pray for all of the families of Sandy Hook Elementary school.

We have a serious health crisis in this country. We have a physical health crisis and we have a mental health crisis. The young man who killed these children is one of the broken victims too of his own mental illness. But that doesn’t make this feel better at all. In fact, it makes it feel even worse to me that he’s not some hateful, evil outlier. He’s sick like all of the others before him, and we don’t have many effective tools or ways to deliver them to help people who are sick like he is.

So, my prayer today is for healing of our broken society. It’s for healing of our broken hearts, brains, hormones, brain neurotransmitters, cellular environment, spirits, and relationships.

Yes, of course, we need much more stringent gun control laws and enforcement, and we need much less media sensationalism that gives Hollywood movie star status to sensational killers. But, most importantly, we need to take better care of ourselves and each other.

I pray that every mother in this country has access to simple, effective, affordable healthcare for herself and her children whether their struggles are physical or emotional. I pray that every mother is brave enough to ask for, find, and accept help when the most difficult and important job in the world becomes too much for her to carry alone. I pray that all of our children can not only feel safe, but actually be safe in every community school.

I pray that God will show me exactly how to be a better part of these solutions, and will help me to raise my own girls as healthfully as possible. I pray that God protects my children, and all children each and every day.

I will never understand why children die. I pray that we all feel the healing peace of God today despite not knowing “why,” and that we remain open to love despite our fear and pain.

God Bless.