The tragic events that occurred on Friday left me heartbroken. I just imagined all those parents coming home to a Christmas tree filled with presents that will never be opened, houses that Santa will not visit this year. I work with children, and my mother was a kindergarten teacher, so the events that occurred are unfathomable to me.
I am speech pathologist who evaluates children on a weekly basis to determine if they have speech and/or language impairments. Every week at my job I am reminded of the realities that many children have to deal with on a daily basis. I, myself, had a childhood out of a storybook. My parents anxiously awaited my birth, and I was born into a home that had a Mama and a Daddy. As a young child, I was held and adored. I had a warm bed to sleep, never went hungry, and my clothes were never dirty. I got bedtime stories, a cake on my birthday, and Santa always visited my house on Christmas. I was taught what was right and what was wrong and, when I did wrong, they were consequences. I had chores and responsibilities, not to receive an allowance, but because I did what my parents told me to do. I learned from a very early age that hard work was necessary to succeed, and that I was only entitled to what I earned. My parents paid for my undergraduate and graduate school education, on two teacher salaries, because they wanted me to have a better life than them. What a lucky girl I am......
Many of the children I see on a weekly basis at work have a very different childhood than mine. More often than not, their birth was not planned or anticipated, and many would not know their father if they saw him. They don't get bedtime stories, their birthdays go unnoticed, and Santa often forgets where they live. They are no warm beds, toys to play with, or full stomachs, and often the only meals they get is the free meals they receive at school. No one helps them with their homework, teaches them life lessons, or encourages them to follow their dreams.
The worst part about my job is when I realize a parent has brought their child to see me in hopes their child would be "delayed" enough to get a disability check. It is very hard to sit across the table from a parent that would wish difficulties on their child. However, my job is to help the child and not the parent. While I work with a child, my mind wanders. It wonders what they could do if their situation was different. It wonders if they will get the help they need. It wonders if they have a warm bed to sleep in. It wonders if they will go to bed hungry. It wonders if they will graduate from high school. The question that often comes to mind is, "Why did I get a Mama and a Daddy that loved me?" I am reminded on a daily basis how lucky I am, because there by the grace of God go I. I could have easily been that little boy or little girl.
My job would be even more difficult if I did not have strong faith. I pray every time I pray that God watches over all the children I encounter and that they are safe and receiving the help they need to succeed in whatever their heart desires.
I will never be able to understand the events that happened on Friday, and I pray that God provides those families that lost a loved one peace and comfort. I am reminded of a verse that always occurs to me when something happens that I cannot understand....
"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who
have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
I know that because God is good all the time, no matter what.
