Finding Hope Amidst Tragedy



My heart has been heavy these past couple of weeks due to recent violence across the world and after a lot of consideration, I decided it was time to take this post out of "Draft" and share. 

As many of you know, I attended a blog conference in Orlando earlier this year.  I remember sitting near the hotel lobby and seeing a lady and a young man. As one of my favorite bloggers was being photographed, the lady inquired about the conference. I explained it was one of the largest social media gatherings in the world.

She asked where I was from?

I replied, asking her likewise.

She was from nearby Miami and her family was there for a wedding.  Her son was marrying his partner.

He nodded and joined our conversation sharing he lived in Orlando.

As mothers we shared how we worried about our kids. I shared thoughts of kids growing up and gearing up for college.  She, of the days since the shooting at Pulse Nightclub, sight  of the deadliest act of terrorism in the U.S. since 9/11.

Pulse was a hip nightclub and the night of the shooting she said she received a call and her heart dropped as she tried unsuccessfully to reach her son.

Her son chimed in saying he lost several friends that night but he wasn't there. He was at working, pulling a double at the hospital he worked at.  The same hospital where many of the victims were taken.

He shared the club is now a memorial and just a few minutes drive from the conference location.

I was compelled to visit.

I was looking over some pics and found this picture of what I wrote on the wall at the memorial during our visit.

The irony is about a year earlier, we visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial last year and I wrote the same exact words.  Love ALWAYS Wins

I make no secrets about the cruelties of the world with my children. However, it is my hope I have taught them to be tolerant of those with beliefs different than theirs. 

In my mind I envisioned this huge nightclub.  Yet, the building was small with a towering sign welcoming visitors.

The kids walked up to the sign and one of the twins began to read...

"Welcome to the future site of the permanent Pulse memorial honoring those affected on the morning of June 12, 2016..."  He read the vision and the mission and then said with authority "WE WILL NOT LET HATE WIN."

We walked around taking note of the small memorials left by family and friends of loved ones whose lives were lost that fateful evening.



There were others like us trying to grapple why and parents kneeled beside their little ones trying to answer their questions.  Me? I never try to explain to my kids why some  people choose not to love.  I try to teach them to have hope amidst the flood of tragedies they see on the news.

I teach my children there is power in hate and in love, but they should love because love ALWAYS wins.