After

The news from Buffalo was a gut punch. I have a special connection to Buffalo. I was born there as were both of my parents.

The head aches from trying to comprehend such mass shootings. So much of our culture seems hell-bent on fomenting hatred that violence and hate is allowed to permeate every single aspect of daily life. It’s not just the outrageous and hateful spew. There just seems to be no limit, no bottom to hate-speech, intolerance, or making an excuse for violent and racially motivated hateful behavior.

But while the deep sadness and grief that follows an abhorrent shooting such as the one that has occurred in Buffalo, that is not the only thought on my mind on this Sunday evening. I was reminded by the beautiful Nelba Márquez-Greene today that educators in Buffalo New York need and deserve our prayers.

Sunday evenings, as every educator knows, are spent preparing for the week ahead. What can educators in Buffalo, New York, be preparing for after Saturday’s murderous act? How will they be able to put aside their own feelings and grief to help those students who need answers and comfort?

In education, there are times that challenge a teacher’s personal strength or ability to help children make sense of their world. I was fortunate that the times I needed to explain the inexplicable for my students were few: Newtown, Challenger, 911, the death of a schoolmate due to illness, two who tragically died accidentally. Those moments, however, are burned in my mind. Oftentimes I still replay in my head what I could have done or said differently, how I might have been more supportive.

I can only begin to image how teachers across Buffalo must feel tonight. Tomorrow, they will be called upon to respond to their students’ needs and questions about a senseless act that defies explanation. May they find the strength and courage they need to support their students.