Too Close to Home
I had a completely different idea for what I wanted to post for this month’s blog but given the recent events that the locals of Allen are currently grieving through, I decided to change direction. If you haven’t heard on the news: on May 6th at Allen Premium Outlets, a horrific shooting occurred, resulting in eight deaths and nine individuals injured. The shooter was killed on the scene by police.
Before I get to anything that I want to say during this difficult time, I want to honor the names of the victims we lost on that day by mentioning them here (no injured individuals will be named):
- Female, age 11
- Female, age 8
- Kyu Song Cho, male, age 37
- Cindy Cho, female, age 35
- Male, age 3
- Christian LaCour, male, age 20
- Elio Cumana-Rivas, male, age 32
- Aishwarya Thatikonda, female, age 26
My heart goes out to the families who have lost members close to them, they were taken far too soon. To the individuals who are able, please consider donating to help support the relatives of the victims. There are several funding systems set up, which you can find more information on here:
https://www.cityofallen.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=5028
I also want to say that this is a tough time for all of us, on all levels. Events like this don’t just hurt a singular person; they hurt their families, members of the community, people who tune into the news, and citizens across the U.S. I want to use this as a reminder to not be ashamed of the fear, sadness, or pain you are experiencing, no matter where you fall in proximity to these factors. Please do not be afraid to speak up to your family and friends about how you are hurting. It’s times like these where connection and community are more important than ever. Please talk to your parents. Reach out to your friend. Call your sister. Find someone to talk to and walk through this with because you can’t do it alone. Let us be sure that our love and connection is stronger than the suffering of our spirits.
In the short time from the shooting to now, I have already had several clients of mine bring up what occurred during our sessions. Considering this, I want to create an offer for individuals who are struggling through these hard times and need help finding a sense of direction. I am now offering four sessions at a rate of $50 per session to help better to meet the needs of my community. I will be running this special until July 31st to help reach as many individuals as possible. If you need help or just need someone to walk through this difficult time with, please do not hesitate to reach out. We have a fantastic team here at Bridging Harts and we are ready to step into the hurt with you, on person at a time.
I struggled finding a way to end this post. There are just no words to paint a picture that would do this situation justice. However, I recently found an inspirational illustration on Pinterest called “Big Panda and Tiny Dragon” and felt it would be a somewhat fitting end, so I will leave you with this:
