Never Forget Them

This is what the pins said that everyone was wearing at the memorial/dedication. It was a peaceful day filled with more hope than sadness. It was so surreal for me. I remember watching footage on the T.V. and then it was gone out of my head after a bit when I turned it off. For the community that went through the massacre, they live it each day. The memorial was so well done, and it is a beautiful place for people to remember the 13. I just went online to research more of the details and I am definitely not ready for that. I could feel rage and confusion building up the more I read. For now I want to remember the words that Dawn Anna (mother of Lauren that was killed) spoke and I want to remember the 13. Here are a couple pics from the memorial.
This balloon was released for Dave (the teacher that was killed)
This was one of the fathers of one of the students killed and he was wearing a shirt with all the victims names.
These were the 13 balloons that the families wrote messages on and released them all together.
Then they released 13 doves into the air first, then 200 for all the injured. It was so powerful and I will never forget!

Processing Thoughts

I just got back from Colorado and I have been trying to write on my experience all day and I can't come up with the words. As my friend Heidi's husband put it, "It sounds like you have some processing to do"! That is exactly what I am trying to do and I just can't get all my thoughts straight. Let me try to start by explaining why I went on the trip. As you remember from before on an earlier post...my friend Heidi is writing an amazing book called Shattered Lives. We went to Colorado to interview a couple people on her list and to take pictures of a couple people that she had already interviewed. I went there knowing that it would be as intense as the other interviews and that we would be wiped out each day. What I didn't see coming was that the trip would be uplifting, enlightening, earth-shaking, and peaceful. I will be able to explain it more as the week goes on, but for now I just want to thank Heidi and her family for being so great to me. Heidi, you mean the world to me, your book has impacted me more than I could have ever dreamed of, and you are making a difference in this world. I admire you and I want to thank you for making me a better person. Thank you for being you and opening your world to me.
This is out at Heidi's parents cabin and we were at 9,000 feet (holy headaches!)
Heidi and I on the self timer.
We went to the Columbine Memorial and it was the most powerful moment of my life. I will leave you with the words of Columbine...."NEVER FORGET THEM"!