I wanted to write something in the wake of the unspeakable tragedy that took place earlier today at an elementary school in Connecticut. There are honestly so many thoughts flooding through my brain right now so I am going to do something that I don’t usually do – stop planning and just write.

It scares me when these random acts of violence occur only about an hour away from me.

It upsets me when I feel like people are ignoring the bigger picture.

I hate the fact that people talk about relishing in the small moments in the wake of a tragedy but immediately go back to their shallow demeanor afterwards.

I wish we could all be on PAUSE for a day or maybe even a week so we all could really see what is happening to our society and culture as a whole.

I honestly can’t even bare to go into my thoughts about the events of the day because it is just too upsetting. But what I will say is that no matter how much I try not to think about it, today has affected me. And you know what…today SHOULD impact all of us because it is a sign of about a thousand bigger issues facing our country. I know this isn’t IBD specific but this is life and I unfortunately do have a unique perspective on life. I don’t need these events to make me realize how precious life is. I don’t need days like today to remind me not to take my health or loved ones for granted.

I don’t need events like today…ever… none of us do. All they do is remind me that there are more evils in this world that are beyond medical and beyond your average “accidents.”

It is honestly days like today where I question what we as a society can even do to repair the damage we have created.

What Can You Do?

Don’t wait for tragedy to strike before you become the person you wish to be. Don’t wait for something awful to happen in order for you to wake up and cherish the people in your life. Be thankful for every single day and take nothing for granted. Try to remember that life is precious and don’t worry so much about small things – they don’t matter, in the scheme of things they simply do not make a damn difference.

We all need to come together to support each other; not just today or in the wake of devastating events, but all day, everyday we need to be there for one another. Our communities, our towns, our states, and our country all need to band together and WAKE THE F UP and realize that things need to change. And nothing will change if we all can’t figure out someway to work together.

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”-Henry Ford