VT thoughts

I pass a house everyday that always has a VT flag hanging in their front yard. I've seen them a few times doing yard work and realized by their age that they must be alumni. (They don't look old enough to have kids yet, but old enough to be out of college) We have a good friend that is a VT graduate and a serious one at that! My heart and prayers go out to all of them during this incredible time. Even alumni will feel the pain of this tragedy.

I'd like to tell you a true story that was communicated to my Dh the morning of the shootings:

A student at VT, who I'll call DC, went to register for a 9 am class in engineering for the current semester. When he went to register, he was told that he was missing one class, a prerequisite for entering the engineering class. He was so upset and probably even mad. This was going to set him back and he'd have to pick it up later to keep on track for graduation. On Monday a.m., from his off campus apartment, he heard the news and realized that if he had been allowed to take that class this semester he could be dead or injured!

I'm not sure whether this young man really grasps the depths of this, but I found myself giving God thanks for protecting him, even if it costs him an extra semester and finishes late. He is alive to finish classes and some are not. Life can be short.

My aunt sent an email to my mom and this is an excerpt from that: "You are so right that life can change in a instant. Yesterday's events brought back the feelings I had on 9/11. So many people left their homes for work, school, and never returned. I made a commitment to myself that day to remember to tell ***** and ***** every time I talk to them how much I love them and how proud I am of them. I always end my conversation with them "God bless you and keep you safe." So if a tragedy takes me away from them, they will know deep in their hearts how much they were loved."


I think Aunt R said it well. I wonder how many parents wish they could tell their kids one more time how much they love them. If this tragedy causes us to reflect on anything, I think we should love our loved ones everyday; loving them like we might not have tomorrow.