I’ve known about the little town of Newtown, Connecticut since the fall of 1993. Two of my sorority sisters grew up there. They often described their hometown as small and boring, the same way many of described our hometowns. Newtown was smalltown USA. It was anyone’s hometown.
Now, the whole world knows about Newtown. And not because of the two amazing, thoughtful, and kind women that I know. Rather because of the loss of so many amazing, thoughtful, and kind people who’s lives were taken too early and too brutally.
Like many of you, I’ve spent time over the last five days as a media junkie and as a media avoider. Some of the details are too unbearable to think about. Many of the stories are simply too heartbreaking. There was one story inspired by all of this violence that resonated with me, the lovely Ann Curry tweeted that she wanted to start a movement where everyone completed 20 acts of kindness to honor the littlest ones lost in Newtown. Ann’s great idea has taken on a life of it’s own, and is now #26Acts.
I knew right away that our family would participate. Our first act was purchasing a toy to donate to our local Toys for Tots program. It felt great to give to another, a person we’ll never meet, in honor of the memory of people we’ll never meet.
There are at least 25 more acts that we’ll be completing. I am not sure what they will be, and I’m not in a rush to complete them. I want to think about them, and for each one to have a purpose.
Are you in?
A great group of bloggers are joining in on this cause, head over to The Frugalette to read their stories!
I love that you’re taking your time to make sure each one is purposeful and has meaning. You’re right, it’s not a race to the finish line, it’s about being conscious of our actions. Thanks for linking up. xo
I was so inspired by your post, Isra. Thank YOU for writing it – it gave me the courage to “say something” when I wasn’t sure if I would/should/could.
We are going to start our #26Acts soon. I am trying to come up with a list of things to do that the Daughter can help with so that she can be involved too. I also think that it should go on past the holiday season which is another reason for my delay in starting . I can’t wait to do this!
One month tomorrow and I still can’t shake the devastation I feel about that event. It has had as much impact in changing me as 9/11 did when I was in college. I have wracked my brain trying to understand why this particular event, and not one of the other countless acts of violence I have learned of, has changed me so much. And I have decided it is because, just like 9/11, this has happened at such a pivotal point in my life. I am a mom. And my baby is my world. And the thought that 20 other mamas were without their babies this Christmas was too much to bear.
I’d like to say that I have participated in the 26 acts of kindness. I’d like to list what they are. But I am still feeling pretty hopeless about society as a whole these days.
So my response, my change, comes from within. I have made it my New Year’s Resolution to be more present in my life, to work less, to enjoy the small things, to unplug the computer! And to always be positive. To everyone. Because this world has enough negativity, and it doesn’t need any more from me! I hope that in time I will be able to regain my Pollyanna view of this world…
I can’t imagine how all of those families are coping with this. I don’t even have the words to express what I feel about Newtown. It’s so very sad.