Usually, on Sundays I attend my father’s church, awoken by the smell of blueberry waffles to let me know breakfast shall be rewarding. However, this past Sunday, there was not a pleasing aroma.
Instead, I overheard the news on my parents’ television with a mixture of sympathy and terror. I received the CNN breaking news update on my phone that stated about 20 dead and 25 injured from a shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Although I’ve attended some clubs in downtown Orlando (yes family, I have been to a club... I’m sorry), I did not recall hearing about Pulse. Now, the world knows about Pulse as a place where innocent victims died, not as a tourist spot.
Reading different news accounts about the calamity also made me realize this could have been any of my friends or other people I’m connected to by association. This tragedy shows not one day is promised. As one wise man stated, “Give flowers to those who deserve them while they’re still living.” The people who have been instrumental in developing the person you are today should continually feel important not just when you’re in front of their casket.
The numerous Facebook statuses regarding the tragedy are filled with support, love, and empathy. For the people who are thinking about or have already expressed that other tragedies similar to the Pulse tragedy have not been reported in the same manner should take a moment and pause. You may keep your opinion but please allow these families to have a moment of grief just like the other families affected by other evil attacks. Some families are still patiently waiting to be notified if their loved one is alive or was among the pile of bodies found in the nightclub.
To my generation, to uplift ourselves out of this hard time we do not need just vigils and memorials. Continuing to focus on our aspirations and being the best we can be will show the world that we cannot be destroyed. Once again, to the affected families and as a native Floridian, I send my condolences, love, and prayers. From the words of the great Michael Jackson, “Heal the world, make it a better place.”
