Days that last: Day 13-Sad Endings

A couple of days ago, I mentioned feeling challenged writing my post due to feeling distracted about a news story about a missing child. Unfortunately, it was announced today that a body found in a field was that of the missing child.

I have tried to shield the girls from this news story. This is one of those stories that is particularly scary for children-a child disappears on the short walk to school.

Despite my efforts, it appears the girls caught snippets of the story before we changed the tv channel. The teachers at their school were wearing ribbons today for that girl. The girls were talking about it after school. I had no idea they were even aware of the story. Katy is incredibly blunt. She doesn’t try to be unkind or insensitive. She just tells it like it is. In true Katy fashion, she said, “I hope she isn’t dead.”

Later, when Lucy was watching a movie on tv, it was interrupted to break the news story that this child was dead.

I was surprised because Lucy didn’t mention this until hours later, as I was getting ready to tuck her in. Of course, this horrible tragedy is on her mind as I am getting ready to turn out the lights. Lucy, the tenderheart, was reflecting on the situation. She wanted to pray. She said, “I don’t like sad endings.”

I don’t either.

I know that the girls look to me for answers. There are no answers. Life can be tragic. Sometimes there are sad endings.

Tragedy can be completely consuming. Life can be forever changed. When there are sad endings, I need to show the girls that we can still carry on.

Maybe the person we are is changed. Maybe the person we want to be is changed. But we must go on.

For tonight, though, I told Lucy that she was safe. That’s all she needs to know for now.

The rest she’s going to see by how I live anyway. That’s how it goes, right? We can talk all we want as parents but kids notice our actions more than our words.

So I will show her that we can’t live in fear. I will be brave.

This post is part of my series: