What I am thankful for...

[Stagecl]

I am thankful that my daughter graduated from Virginia Tech last year. She was an RA on the floor above the shooting in the dorm and was friends with the guy. She also would have been in class at Norris Hall at the time of the shooting.

I know we are tired of all the news coverage because it is in excess. It just hit kind of close to home. I am counting my blessings.

My heart and prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones.

Cheryl Mathre

Stone Creek Quilting

Sandy Hook, Va

[Patch]

Cheryl, I am thanking God for your daughter's safety too, and all the others who are still with us. I am praying for the parents and friends and relatives of the ones who were taken. May they find blessed rest with the Savior.

I am thankful for my two incredible children and a dedicated DH who is the most self-sacrificing for our sakes. May God keep all our families in the palm of His hand and bring them safely to what He plans for them.

I am thinkful for all my many opportunities, and the many choices my kids have. I am mindful there are so many who don't have those open doors.

I am thankful for my mother still here on earth, while Daddy waits in heaven.

I am thankful for my beautiful neighborhood, with lovely neighbors who are very peaceful and friendly.

I am thankful for music, lifting the spirits and reviving the soul.

I am thankful for spring, though it hides its face I can hear the song.

I am thankful for tomorrow, and all the promises hiding there.

I am thankful for sleep, refreshing new ideas.

I am thankful for quilting friends who let me come here even though I don't have a longarm. Yet.

I am thankful for you, Cheryl, because you are thankful and turn our faces upward. Bless you!

[sewingupastorm]

(((((((((((((((((((((((Cheryl))))))))))))))))))))))) wow that is close to home. This is a terrible tradgedy and I do not know anyone there and am far away (I was born in Virginia though) and I feel the pain and anguish of all those people just going about their day. The whole thing is so ugly and senseless!

Give you daughter a big hug just because you can!

[TishMarshall]

My heart goes out to those who have lost love ones through this tragic event.

We should all count our blessings..............

I am grateful for my health and for all the days I'm able to walk pain free.

I am grateful for my husband and for his devotion to me and our family.

I am grateful for my daughter, whom I love like no tomorrow.

I am grateful for my son, who I love more than air.

I am grateful for my family, home, talent, passion, friends, and for all that I have and for all that I don't have.

And for my doggie, Zoe, my 4 lb chihuahua who goes everywhere with me.

I look to the Lord for strength.

Tish

[quiltmonkey]

This is a horrible tragedy. So many unanswered questions. These are the times when we have to pull together and muddle through and take it one moment at a time. I am thankful for all the blessings and the strengths we can find way deep inside ourselves during difficult times in order to survive. I am thankful for all the simple blessings in our daily lives. Sometimes we don't pause to appreciate those things. We all have so many fortunes at the palms of our hands.

Thank you for sharing your little things with me. It make me feel good.

[countrystitcher]

Patty just said everything so beautifully - so ditto to her responses plus:

* the talents that God has given me, may I recognize them and use them to glorify him.

* my church family, who is always there for me

* my quilting family, new and old - how wonderful to be surrounded by friends who enjoy my passion

* my working friends, who listen to my quilting stories even though they don't understand a thing about it

* my parents, my husband who are a source of encouragement

* my health and wealth that allows me to quilt and work and enjoy the outdoors

Just may we all stop and be thankful today - this is a good post!

Sharon

[icolorize]

It's sooo sad...So many angry people ...so many victims.

Yes, we all need to be grateful for what we have...especially the little things that we take for granted. Really...how awsome is it to see a sunset, give and receive a smile, look at a flower or blade of grass, hear a young child giggle, be able to breathe freely after a cold finally passes....

BUT- Maybe we (parents, authority figures, etc) need to really pay attention. "WHY" do these horrific events happen? What, if any, preventative actions can be taken to stop or at least minimize these acts of violence?

The plot usually is the same. A lot of hurting "outcasts" seem to feel vivtimized to the point of wanting to commit suicide because they just can't deal with society anymore. Maybe, as children, they were constantly bullied because of the way they looked or dressed. Maybe their home life was deplorable and low self-esteme made them easy targets. For some reason the killers felt rejected by society. To compensate, they in turn reject and loath society. Ultimately, revenge was reaped in outrageous, horrific ways that made their suicides very public events. They ultimately decide to go out with a very public bang...not a whimper.

Maybe schools themselves need to change if we want the violence to stop happening over and over again. Perhaps young school bullies should punished as real threats to socoety. While we might not know what bullied victim will grow up to to become antisocial, we probably can pick out and confront the bullies...especially at the grade school level.

Instead of telling weaker children to just ignore the bullies because it's a part of life, teachers should be given the tools to deal with the bullies and protect the victims. No child should feel threatened, harassed, and afraid to go to school because of an uncontrolled bully. Without a teacher's permitted and maybe required interference, a bully's weaker victim is defenseless and will probably feel frightened, isolated and ashamed. (Probably angry over the humiliation, too).

All the technology in the world will not stop every determined suicide bomber. I think that society needs to protect the weak and punish abusers "in the bud" so that student voilence doesn't continue at the current rate or, worse yet, escolate.

[Patch]

I have to say in response, Bette, that we are all looking at the wrong causes of these horrible events. Yes, the guy was disturbed, but I believe there were medications or drugs involved, weren't there? Every time, EVERY time, I have heard of the circumstances behind one of these senseless shooting sprees there have been drugs involved, sometimes prescription and sometimes not. Doctors and psychiatrists turn far too often to medicines and drugs etc. to try and make a person feel better, when what they need is not found in a pill, or the pill gives them a worse problem. Yes, there is legitimate use of anti-depressants (sp?) and pain meds, but I think they are WAY overused and WAY too soon in so many cases. This will not stop, until the powers that be take the drug companies in hand and put a stop to the marketing of anti-depressants as a panacea etc. When we make sure our government is keeping the drug companies under control like they're supposed to, then we can talk about the real problems people are having. But when people are so drugged up for whatever reason, they are not going to even know themselves what they need.

My neighbor next door took an overdose several weeks back, and almost left this world, because of her pain from old injuries, and because her hubby had left her. She has been on powerful pain medications for years, and these make her behave in ways she otherwise would not.

Yes, it is something we can NOT allow to continue. But didn't we say that after Springfield?

[mrsbishwit]

I am grateful for all of the good in the world. Yes there still is some out there even though by watching the TV or reading the news papers you wouldn't know it.

I am grateful that in Tempe AZ today that a High school & the police acted fast to what was a suspicious package found on school grounds today. They immediately evacuated all students and faculity from the school and sent in a bomb squad. It turned out that the package in question was a students school project and was harmless. After what we have seen in the past 10 years no one can afford to take chances any more when it comes to keeping our kids safe.

I am grateful for my DH & kids and that even though we aren't rich beyond our wildest dreams, LOL that we are not doing too bad either and my kids appear to be happy and enjoying being kids.

I am grateful that I am an American, because after 9-11 our country pulled together in such a way that showed that no matter what race, religon, or political background you were all human life is precious and is worthy of love & compasion.

I am thankful for every birthday that I have, and not dread the fact that I am getting older. But I think of each birthday as a gift from God. Another year that God has blessed me with life and has allowed me to enjoy in the other gifts that he has given all of us..such as the beautiful flowers that bloom in the spring, the changes of the season, rainbows, laughter, love, sunsets, chocolate , and the miricale of life.

I am thankful for so many things (way too many to list them all), lol but I am thankful for not only the big things but the little things as well. We live in a very scarey world these days but if you just take a moement and look around you too will be able to find a few things that you can be thankful for as well.

Joann