Thoughts on senseless violence at Connecticut school

When I first saw a news headline about the shootings at Newtown, Connecticut, school Sandy Hook Elementary, there were no fatalities reported. I had hoped it was just something isolated and not a repeat mass killing like those at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech or the Colorado movie theater.

Sadly, that was not the case, and I learned within an hour or so that at least 18 children were murdered and at least eight adults.

I appreciated the president's comments saying that today is not the day to begin political discussions about policy, and I agree. This is a day for respect to and prayer for those killed and their families.

But many people have commented how children shouldn't be scared to go to school, children should be safe in school, and parents shouldn't be fearful of sending their kids to school.

What I take from today is that life is brief. Not one of us is guaranteed tomorrow, and so we should make the most of today. We should tell people we love that we love them. We should also act toward those we love with love and respect. We should make more efforts to enjoy time spent with our loved ones, because they may be gone tomorrow.

They may be gone due to natural causes, a car accident, a crime, an illness, a natural disaster or some other terrible occurrence. But not one of us is immortal. Some of us will lose parents; others will lose children. Some will lose siblings or spouses or best friends. But at some point, for every one of us, life ends.

I am not saying we shouldn't take reasonable precautions and security measures. I lock my doors. I avoid dark, unpopulated areas alone. I park in well-lit areas or walk with a friend. I check in to let people know where I will be. I see the doctor regularly.

But, as terrible as this tragedy is, I feel the healthiest response is to continue living. After 9/11, I still took vacations via flying. After the Colorado shooting, I didn't stop going to the movies. We deal with what life throws at us, and we adapt. We grieve those who are lost, and then we move forward.

We can't live our lives in fear of death. We can't let ourselves be consumed with thoughts of how to stop death. We spend so much time focusing on how to prevent death, that many of us forget to actually live.