This entire month I have recorded my thoughts but have not had the opportunity to edit them and make them coherent enough to post here. There are lots of thoughts tumbling around inside me and I will work harder this coming month to get them on to the page here.
This morning, though, while recovering from the overnight shift at work on the sofa, I watched a courageous and determined Andrew Pollock speak to the CNN reporter about the loss of his daughter, Meadow, in the Parkland Florida Shooting. As I listened, I couldn’t imagine the strength it took to hold himself together while speaking, and I wept at the sight of the Dad hugging his daughter, now tragically lost…
As a father to five daughters, and a son, all of whom I cherish more than my own life, my heart became heavy with the thought of how the parents and families of these young people must be suffering, and it gave me pause to consider how small all of my concerns are by comparison.
There will be more thoughts to share on this soon.
May all who suffer loss find solace in the days to come…..John H.
John's Consciousness 
John….thank you for your post. It is literally impossible for the vast majority of us to really and truly know the anguish and devastation the families of these wonderful young people are suffering through. As a father myself of a wonderful and precious daughter, and a Grandfather of three granddaughters and a grandson, I, like you and millions of our fellow Americans, can absolutely feel the pain inflicted on all of us by this latest atrocity. I pray for the kids who were murdered and for their Moms and Dads and siblings and relatives. I also pray that we as a People take the right path and do whatever it takes to STOP this insanity and protect our precious children.
While none of us can fully appreciate what it is like to experience the suffering of another, we can empathize and share in their grief, by examining how we might feel if this tragic event had involved members of our own family. From all that is now known about what took place, and from watching the developments since then, it is clear that this was not a rational act, and that our response to what you describe as the “insanity” of it, must be deliberate and measured.
We owe it to those who were lost, and to future generations, to look for solutions and to take steps to learn how we can identify those who need help coping with their circumstances, and find ways to intervene before it becomes a tragedy.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment…John H.