Monday, December 17, 2012

A news story I don't want to read, hear, see, or tell

You may or may not know this about me... I'm a bit of a news junkie. I like to know everything I can about news stories, especially big news stories. I typically look at lots of different sources and read as much as I can.

Not this time.

I took Friday off so I could attend a Christmas party that night. I am so thankful I had the day off. As I got the news alerts on my phone about what was happening in Connecticut, I found myself desperately hoping that the media outlets were wrong. Maybe the numbers were exaggerated. Oh how I hoped. I was at Chick-fil-A with my girls and couldn't eat my lunch. But I pretended everything was fine.

As I watched them play in the play area, I just couldn't wrap my brain around the heinous murder of children...most of them not much older than my daughter, Sydney. I was overcome with an actual feeling of sickness. And have since stopped reading and watching all coverage of the story. Including from Channel 7.

I know as news people we have covered lots of horrific stories. Even mass murders. But it was so different this time. I've been trying to figure out why and I assume it's because I'm now a parent. Everyone said that my perceptive as a jjournalist would change when I became a mom. I didn't believe them. But they were right. It all changes. My heart absolutely breaks for those parents that will never get to see their sweet babies on this earth again. I simply can not fathom what that would be like. And pray like crazy that I'll never have to know.

As a news anchor, we're supposed to have empathy when we read stories and even show some emotion. But I have to be honest, if I did that with this story I'd be crying every time it's mentioned. So forgive me, if I look or sound emotion-less while reading these stories... it is the best I can do. If being a mom makes me less of anchor... so be it. We all have our limits. Apparently the senseless attack of sweet, innocent souls is mine.

I will continue to pray for the families, emergency personal, and entire Newtown community... as well as continued protection and safety for the most innocent of us. All of our children.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for being so honest about turning off the TV. So have I. My heart goes out to the family who lost love ones. I don't want to have the man name echoing in my head. I know that his mother tried to get him help. So I don't blame him, But I don't want to hear the story anymore. I don't want to hear how the Government is going to fix it so it won't happen again because there is no law that would of stop it from happening. We need more mental help. NO more laws or prison.
    Again thank for telling us the truth on how you feel. I agree with you.

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  2. Christina, I agree with you...I just can't watch it! My heart breaks for the families of all those precious children, the teachers and the surviving children that had their innocence stolen. We must all keep them in our thoughts and prayers...not for just the next few days, but for the months and years to come!

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