tears in heaven

On the night of my daughter’s 8th birthday, you are the daughter I find myself wanting to reach out and embrace. Tears streamed down my face today as I choked back the anger for the horror your 13 year old self has lived through and heroically survived. You are surrounded now by a tremendous community of love but the pain you feel must leave you feeling somewhat isolated and alone. Your Wisconsin mamas and so many others are so very eager to lighten your burden yet our hearts are heavy for your loss...and with your beloveds as tears stream down from heaven for theirs. I pray that somehow in the midst of all this tragedy, you find a way to let the wealth of love and support in. I can only imagine it would be the one thing that would bring a smile to the celestial realm. Jayme Closs, you are a hero. You have drawn a community together and a sigh of relief to scores of anticipating observers of the life you have recently fallen prey to. Your story reminds us, once again, how precious and brief our time is with our beloved ones. Everyone’s loss is tragic in its own right...but yours more obviously so. I cannot control our legislative choices that allowed this guy to possess the gun that took your parents life...but I can continue to speak up. No matter how firmly I embrace my girls, I cannot prevent them from experiencing tragedy in life...but I will hold on just the same relishing in the moments we do have together. I pray that you grieve as you must and then find it within yourself to keep living...and perhaps forgive if you can find it within yourself to let go enough to do so. We are angry and in disbelief with you. We are here to embrace you as one of our own. We are elated for your return from captivity and celebrate with caution knowing that in the midst of all the giddiness your heart is broken. I once read about the kind and benevolent being filled with love that relinquished his only begotten to a world of pain, suffering and uncertainty. The only thing certain was that he would one day be betrayed, tortured and killed. In moments like these I feel the magnitude of that gift to humanity so that we get that we are in good company with celestial beings who truly understand our pain.