Please don’t cry,
for I am with you always.
The air around me is full of sighs;
the weight of a hundred broken hearts.
My time here has come and gone,
much sooner than you and I had hoped.
But don’t worry, I’m where I belong;
right beside you as I’ve always been.
The people I’ve touched amazes me,
tears will be shed far and wide.
Peace will come, I promise you this,
for now, you have me as your guide.
I’m truly saddened by the shootings lighting up our news feed and I feel there is no right answer in addressing the problem. I’ve suffered from depression for as long as I can remember, in and out of therapy since elementary school. There were days I was tempted to commit suicide and to this day I am grateful I had my dog and family to pull me from the depths I felt there was no escape from. But never, had I even contemplated taking others down with me, whether they were part of the problem or random strangers on the street.
It’s unrealistic to hope that violence will be eliminated because that isn’t going to happen. But I do hope that for these individuals that are mentally ill find another way. That they learn that violence is not the way to grasp the attention they desire.
For now, my heart is heavy with sorrow and grief for the families, friends, and colleagues of the victims in Virginia. This is yet another example of how precious life really is and how quickly it can be changed, for better or worse.