Last Friday, a gunman killed 20 children and 7 adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. In July of this year, a gunman killed 12 people, some including children, in a theater in our own hometown of Aurora, CO, not more than 20 min away from us. This year alone there have been over 15 mass murders ranging anywhere from schools to temples to malls and theaters. We were all shocked and we grieved for the victims but then we moved on and after a few weeks or months, these tragedies became a distant memory. But for the families of the victims, this will never be a distant memory and this holiday season will not be filled with joy and celebration. None of them woke up the morning of the tragedy and thought for a second that this would be the last time they would see their child, spouse, brother/sister, mother/father. But it happened and they must now somehow find a way to rebuild their lives. For the rest of us, we should take a moment from our holiday celebrations this season to reflect on what it important in our lives.
For Kunal and I, nothing is more important than our family, particularly our two little boys. It is so easy for us to get caught up in day-to-day routine and forget to stop and marvel at these two little magnificent beings. In their faces, in the hearts, and in their souls they capture everything that is right in this world. Their innocence is so beautiful that all we do is strive to preserve it. When a tragedy such as Fridays occurs, it reminds us that we are fighting an uphill battle to preserve that innocence but it's a battle worth fighting and we will never stop. And we're lucky that our boys have their grandparents and uncles/aunts fighting along with us too. They will grow up and inevitably they will see and feel the pain & suffering in this world but my one wish for them is that not a day goes by that they don't also feel loved.
So this holiday season, sit down and have a chat with your mother/father, remember that your spouse is your best friend, laugh with your brother/sister and most of all, hug your children a little tighter and tell them everyday how much you love them. Life is too short to let these moments pass by.
