This blog was started as a means to help people during the pandemic understand the grief and loss they may be experiencing. Over the past year or two, losses from the pandemic has decreased substantially. However, the conversation continued about grief associated with horrible mass shootings in our country and incredible events across the world which has resulted in death of thousands. I get the feeling that this blog could go on forever.
Within the last week or so we, as a country, have endured the episode in Kansas City following the celebration for the Super Bowl winning Chiefs and their fans. Afterward, dozens of people suffered gunshot wounds and one person died. In Minnesota, two police officers and a paramedic in Minnesota were killed in the midst of gunshots as they responded to a domestic dispute.
These blog posts have tried to share what I have learned concerning grief and loss. You do not have to be related or a family member in Kansas City or in Minnesota. Maybe you are a football fan enjoying the celebration or maybe you support law enforcement for their heroic work. It makes no difference if you feel anxiety or sadness as a result of these situations.
The Margorie Stoneman Douglas High School and residents in Parkland, Florida were observing the anniversary of their tragedy of 17 students and staff members dying from a mass shooting exactly six years from the day of the Kansas City shooting on Valentine’s Day, February 14. I thought of the folks in Florida and wondered, “when they go home, turn on their television and see the people running the Kansas City streets to avoid gunshots, what did they feel?” Maybe their first thought was, “haven’t we learned?”
The initial need for people’s anxiety and sadness is to acknowledge the reality of these deaths. You are probably like me in thinking you don’t want to acknowledge such horror that should not have happened. But it did happen and must be mourned. The families affected will never, ever forget what happened on this date, February 14. It won’t be the same exact feeling in the future, hoping that those in Florida, Kansas City, and elsewhere will have begun to reconcile the loss. But even then, they will remember.
Where ever you are, if you feel upset in your gut, two other important reconciliation needs for you are: Searching for Meaning and Receiving On-Going Support from Others. It is difficult to find meaning in the midst of horrific terror, but over time meaning may come. Will your faith grow or go away? Do powers-that-be take action to avoid future tragedies? We hope so, but these incidents continue, don’t they?
Support from Others is vital. Talk with someone you trust as a great listener… not judgmental but sincerely wanting to hear your reactions, concerns, and fears. May God Bless the families living through these tragedies. May they, and you, be At Peace.
At Peace 