Remember the families of those who died at Ft. Hood
By Irene Conlan -
This week funerals and memorial services will be held across the country for those who died in the massacre at Ft. Hood on Thursday. This is an excruciatingly painful time for these families and other loved ones. With most of the victims being processed to go to Iraq, goodbyes had probably been said. Goodbyes with hope that they would return. But this is final and there was no time for a final goodbye. As the shock wears off profound grief sets in and there is little that can console.
This was unexpected.
They were on their way to Iraq but they were killed by one of their own in a place that should be safe.
How do family and friends accept that? How do you adjust to it? How can you even believe it really happened.?
How do you deal with it?
These are just a few of the questions that the bereaved cannot answer. They need all the love and compassion we can send them.
Below is the list of those who died. As you read each name, pray for their loved ones according to your own belief system. Surround them with Love and Light. Hold them in you minds and in your hearts.
1. Lt. Col. Juanita Warman, 55, Havre de Grace, Md.
2. Maj. Libardo Caraveo, 52, Woodbridge, Va.
3. Cpt. John P. Gaffaney, 54, San Diego, Calif.
4. Cpt. Russell Seager, 41, Racine, Wis.
5. Staff Sgt. Justin Decrow, 32, Plymouth, Ind.
6. Sgt. Amy Krueger, 29, Kiel, Wis.
7. Spc. Jason Hunt, 22, Tillman, Okla.
8. Spc. Frederick Greene, 29, Mountain City, Tenn.
9. PFC Aaron Nemelka, 19, West Jordan, Utah
10. PFC Michael Pearson, 22, Bolingbrook, Ill.
11. PFC Kham Xiong, 23, St. Paul, Minn.
12. Pvt. Francheska Velez, 21, Chicago, Ill.
13. Michael G. Cahill, Cameron, Texas [civilian)May they rest in peace.
As you reflect on the impact of this massacre on the lives of so many, it would be a good time to reflect on your own mortality. Have you ever done that? Have you done some serious thinking on the inevitability of your own death and what you believe happens after you die? Are you at peace with it?
How does what you believe about death and after death, affect how you live?
If you knew you only had one year to live, what would you do with the time?
If you knew you only had one month?
If you knew you only had one more day?
The people in Ft. Hood had no warning. It was over in a matter of minutes. That could happen to any one of us in an eye blink. I don’t know about you but I know that if that happens to me I want to
- be in as happy a frame of mind as I can be in.
- not be angry with anyone or carrying a grudge.
- know that I have done my best to be a good person and to be kind, loving and generous to others.
- know that I have lived not just existed.
- know that I have filled my days with as much laughter as can be crammed into them.
- been true to what I believe.
I believe in life after life and that death is just shedding the body like you remove an old dress – that the part of me that’s ME continues.
What do you believe?
