I jumped on the internet this afternoon to check work email and became aware of the tragic events happening in Boston. I didn't click on any news clips, just read a few online reports. I didn't turn on the TV. Little ears and eyes were about and instead I asked myself "how do you, when do you tell the kids?"
I may avoid talking about this for a little while longer, but not much longer. Ben found out about Newtown and he knows about September 11. The girls do not. Yet.
But evil is unavoidable, tragedy, a product of the Fall, and we can't hide from it.
About a month ago, Kyrie asked innocently, "What was the name of your friend who died?" I had no idea what she was talking about so I displayed genuine confusion. "It was something like 'Sharon,'" she pushed. My heart sank at what come next, but she didn't ask the questions I dread to answer. The questions about Shannon, my cousin whose murder when we were 25 forever altered the way I look at the world. I'm constantly formulating in my head how I will tell my children that awful story. How I will say "Do not be afraid" when I still will not walk through my neighborhood alone, when I still get up if I hear anything in the night.
I realized today how different 9/11 was for the mothers of young children, the parents who caught glimpses of coverage here and there, but who realized for a certain time and place, they needed to shelter their kids from those images, the fumbling of reporters, bystanders and pundits to make sense of the horror they were encountering.
I will not lie. Today is not an anomaly in the character of man; it is the norm. It is not surprising that these things happen, it is shocking that they aren't visible to us more often. The heart of man bears horrific darkness. The truth is finding the Light.
But I still don't know how to tell them.
4 comments:
I don't envy you that talk. How to explain evil? Concentrate on the fact that there is also much love in the world too?
Judy
Sweet Rachelle, I remember wrestling with the same thing with my kids during 9/11. I felt it was important for them to hear the accurate details from me. These horrific acts are as you said more and more common, making it that more important that our kids are equipped to pray and learn the tools to survive these dark times. You are literally raising warriors. In your loving way you will find the words that will comfort them. And like your friend Judy said,remind them that love and light prevail. And we win.
I haven't discussed 9/11 with my eldest, but tonight we randomly went out for dinner -- something we never do on a Monday night. While eating at one of our favorite places the news was being broadcast all over the TVs. There was no avoiding it. L asked what happened and I said a bomb went off, that someone very bad had set up a bomb and it had hurt people. I think it really depends on the child. For mine -- she was satisfied with that answer and although obviously not happy, she seems to do fine knowing there is evil in the world and that it is connected with Satan and hell. She also understands that all that is good and lovely is connected with God and heaven. I find hope in the fact she yearns for the good and lovely and that seems to comfort her when bad happens.
We had to discuss 9/11 with all of our children because Joe's grandmother died that day and we had trouble getting gas to drive down to the funeral. We talked a lot about God's sovereignty.
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