Letters to Sandy Hook

The gift of mail. 

Helping lift someone's spirits if even just for a moment. Giving them something to focus on to help take them outside of their pain. Offering a distant hug written on any note card or paper, wrapped in an envelope and stamped with love.  Do not think these things don't matter.

 The tragedy at Sandy Hook broke my heart: the senselessness of the act, the terror of the victims and survivors, the sadness and confusion of the families and the nation.

What can we do? Pray? Send flowers? Sign a petition? Participate in the #26ActsofKindness (Twitter)?

I chose to send letters. Somewhere I came across this post office box that was set up for the families of the victims:

PO Box 3700, Newtown, CT 06470

So I looked up the name and photo of each victim and began the process of saying a prayer and sending a card with just a short note letting the family know that we're thinking of them. I am doing this over the process of weeks so that I'm not hurried. I like to spend time in silent meditation for each soul. 

Susan Piver has a beautiful blog post on another way to help the victims and their families, as well as yourself and anyone affected by this tragedy.

I was reminded of the movie Calendar Girls where one of the women was helped through the grief of losing her husband to cancer by reading and responding to the massive amounts of mail that was sent to her. Anything to just get through the days when you're in shock and your grief is raw.