Forever we will remember these beautiful innocents:
Charlotte Bacon (2/22/06), 6 years old, female
Daniel Barden (9/25/05), 7 years old, male
Rachel Davino (7/17/83), Staff member, 29 years old, female
Olivia Engel (7/18/06), 6 years old, female
Josephine Gay (12/11/05), 7 years old, female
Ana M. Marquez-Greene (4/4/06), 6 years old, female
Dylan Hockley (3/8/06), 6 years old, male
Dawn Hochsprung (6/28/65), Principal, 47 years old, female
Madeleine F. Hsu (7/10/06), 6 years old, female
Catherine V. Hubbard (6/8/06), 6 years old, female
Chase Kowalski (10/31/05), 7 years old, male
Nancy Lanza, 52 years old, female (mother of shooter Adam Lanza)
Jesse Lewis (6/30/06), 6 years old, male
James Mattioli (03/22/06), 6 years old, male
Grace McDonnell (11/4/05), 7 years old, female
Anne Marie Murphy (7/25/60), Staff member, 52 years old, female
Emilie Parker (05/12/06), 6 years old, female
Jack Pinto (05/05/06), 6 years old, male
Noah Pozner (11/20/06), 6 years old, male
Caroline Previdi (9/07/06), 6 years old, female
Jessica Rekos (5/10/06), 6 years old, female
Avielle Richman (11/17/06) 6 years old, female
Lauren Rousseau (June 1982), Staff member, 30 years old, female
Mary Sherlach (2/11/56), Staff member, 56 years old, female
Victoria Soto (11/04/85), Staff member, 27 years old, female
Benjamin Wheeler (09/12/06), 6 years old, male
Allison N. Wyatt (07/03/06), 6 years old, female

Like many people today, I am shocked, dazed and deeply saddened by the killing of 26 innocent women and children at Sandy Hook Elementary School yesterday.  As I write this I am not even certain that the event happened yesterday, time escapes me.  Writing out a few thoughts helps to recalibrate this feeling of being lost, numb, tearful and worried.  With that, trying to comprehend how it feels to be in Newtown, CT. Complete immersion in the devastation and grief.  A sense of calm comes forth knowing that the people are reaching to God and to each other as they move through this painful time.
It brought back the crystal clear memories of Columbine High School, the radio announcement, the snowy cold day, and me pulling into a parking space in downtown Denver to sob.  Looking at the guy in the car next to me, doing the same.  
At Sandy Hook Elementary the majority of the victims were sweet little children, just babies.  To try to make sense of this or understand reasoning behind this madness seems futile, but we will try.  
As a person who thinks about death far more often than one should, the greatest fear about death is suffering through it.  We will never know the extent to which those sweet little children and their heroins suffered.  Too much to bear to think about.
Before this day, their beautiful little lives were immersed in simple joys like having a play date with a best friend, making a drawing in art class, baking cookies with mom and reading bedtime stories with dad.  It's really difficult to grasp the overwhelming awareness of how in just a mere instance of time, this community was forced to their knees.
Breathe deeply for a moment .................
Our capacity to love is grand and in spite of this horror, more of our neighbors are good than bad.  More will help than hurt. More will protect than abandon.  
More love than hate.  
God swept up these angels into His arms at the moment of their death and they are protected and cannot be harmed again.  They will never fear again.
I found a proverb that sort of rounds out all the turmoil 29:26-27
"Do you want justice?  Don't fawn on the judge, but ask the Lord for it!  The good hate the badness of the wicked.  The wicked hate the goodness of the good."
Give your angst, your pain, your fear, your grief to God.  For God will take it and help you to be strong.  The families of these innocents need all of our strength and prayers.  They are weeping from a place that I cannot imagine.  
Rest In Peace Dear Innocents of Sandy Hook Elementary School
May the Lord's Blessings Be With You