Are You Talking About It?

Last night, I went indoor rock climbing with a group of my girlfriends for a friend's birthday. During a break, a few of us sat on the floor and discussed the very sad situation at Virginia Tech. The horrifying video clips and photos of the killer had just been released and were airing all over the place. I told my friends about the many deep and interesting conversations our family has been having this week related to this tragic situation. Two of them said they are severely limiting their own exposure and that of their children to the story - that is avoiding reading the newspaper and viewing television coverage of the story. They told me that they were worried that discussing the story with their children would cause them undue fear and anxiety.

My own boys, ages twelve and fifteen, have been very outspoken on the events of the week. They don't watch much television, but they have heard me listening to the story on CNN in the car as we travel to our myriad of daily activities. We have prayed together, cried together, and discussed at length the week's unfolding of events. My discussions with Eric, the fifteen year old, have been much different than those I've had with Adam (my "baby", who is now officially taller than me). I find solace in Eric's teenage attitude about this event and in his righteous indignation regarding an entire generation of young men being branded by the actions of one mentally ill student. Most of all, although the subject is so pain-filled, I am comforted that my boys are so open to discussing their feelings about it with me. I need to pray, and to talk, a lot this week.

That's why I became concerned when my friends told me that they didn't want to talk about it with their children. My own boys are indeed a few years older than their kids, which definitely has an impact on my decision making. But their hesitancy suddenly gave me pause to consider their side and to second guess all the talking we've been doing about this. As a mom of young men, I feel as though my biggest duty is to raise them to be Christ's light and love to others in our world. And so I'm asking myself (and you) today, does talking about this situation lead us to that goal? Should we be discussing it, or should we just quietly remember these souls and their families in our prayers?

I don't know the answer...