Last night at my daughter’s 5th grade Christmas concert, a collective and profound sadness weighed heavily in the auditorium.  It was impossible to live in the moment and not contemplate the atrocities of last Friday as we waited for our young musicians to take the stage.  When the children began to sing their carols and eek out the notes of The Holly and the Ivy on their instruments, many of us had tears streaming down our cheeks over the enormity of it all.

When horrific, unimaginable things occur in life we justifiably seek explanations so our thoughts can rest on something concrete.  Concrete facts bring understanding and allow us to categorize and file things away.  We all know, though, that this one is too big to push into the corners of our minds or slip quietly into the past.  And I don’t think we want it to.

We mustn’t forget that we are blessed to live in a country where we have not only the privilege and right to voice our opinions but also the ability to affect change.  Please, please call, e-mail, tweet, or hand write your state and national level leaders and let them know what you want to see in legislation.  I am working on letters to my senators and representatives in support of an assault weapons ban with clear and concise language without loopholes.  I am also writing to ask for readily accessible healthcare and insurance coverage for mental illness.  Click here (http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml) to find and contact all state and federal elected officials and government agencies.  It is so much easier than you think.