Honoring Boston: The Side Walk Chalk Challenge

While watching the coverage of the unfolding massacre in Boston yesterday, my 14 year old son and I, speechless, seeing the carnage that others can inflict on humanity....there was just no sense to the horror..the carnage...the blood. There are so many more things I could say about this horrific act...my husband  is a decorated Marine and fought in combat in Iraq. I'm a native New Englander and consider Boston a part of my childhood...you can't get any more All-American than Boston. And I currently live in OK...where yesterday's attack was a clear reminder of the Oklahoma City bombing that was such a defining moment for our country and the good people of Oklahoma. I discussed with all my children last night, that despite the horror, there were people running to help...their were helpers (to use the Mr. Rodgers message). There were so many more good people there yesterday than bad. That when there is a dark moment, you can be the light. That you can not control what others will do to you, but you can control who you are. And you can be good.

But instead of going into all of the emotions and concerns I have ...

I will simply say that it struck my son and I that there was so much blood.

Blood on American sidewalks.

Not Northern Irish, Israeli, Iraqi, Afghan sidewalks...but American sidewalks.

I'm not naive and I'm not trite, but I feel like I have to do something to sort of take back our sidewalk, even if it is only here in my front yard....to say to my children that their sidewalks should be covered in rainbows, in misspelled words, in smudges of chalk and hop-scotch.  That the little child who was slaughtered while watching his father run a marathon will be forever innocent ..and we'll dedicate our little chalk art sidewalk to him. That his life isn't reduced to blood on a side walk.  That we can not protect our children from violence but we will not let it define their childhood and let the acts of evil men change our quality of life.

So,  today, this week, this weekend I challenge you to find the time to go outside, sit with your child (ren) and draw on your sidewalk. Even at a park. Take your chalk and have at it. Because our children may live in a violent world but it's up to us to show them the simple joys and happiness that life is really all about. So spend time together as a family drawing on a sidewalk. That's what I'll be doing.

XXXOOO.