Given all the increased media on the events this week leading up to the 20th year anniversary, and our intentions to attend the memorial service with our church congregation, I wasn't at all surprised when our oldest daughter began asking questions about the Murrah ... "Mom, what happened to the building?" "How many people were hurt?" "What does a bomb do?" ... I was ready to answer these questions, and I was glad she was asking them, because I want our kids to be aware of the severity of the actions of that day, and to understand the importance that day in history played in the shaping of their city's history.
However, I wasn't at all prepared for the inevitable question of "why?" ... "Mommy, why did the bad man do it?" "Why would he hurt kids?" ... This was where I knew the conversation would eventually end up, but I found myself struggling with answers, because I myself don't know "why" certain people are provoked to terroristic acts of violence against innocent people.
As adults, we are keenly aware that evil exists in the world, and that bad things happen without rhyme or reason. Unfortunately, these are life's lessons that we hope to shield our children from for as long as possible in order to preserve their innocence. Myself, as a parent, want my children to falsely believe that I will always be there to protect them, so that they will never have to experience pain or loss. That no matter the unfortunate event, I will always be available to make it all better.
This is obviously a farce, and eventually my children will realize that with life comes a certain amount of unpleasantness, and I, as a parent, must learn to let go even if that means they must experience some amount of pain. In order for my children to learn the ability to get up and forge on, I must first let them experience one of life's most certain falls. As a parent, I must teach them by example that God has purpose in everything he does, and although you may not see that particular purpose at the time, it is necessary to trust in the greater plan.
This hope and resolve is what the great people have Oklahoma City have shown in the aftermath of the Murrah bombing. They have shown in 20 years that it is not life's events that define us, but rather how we react to those events. This is what I hope my children learn while growing up in this beautiful city. I hope that see that life always goes on after tragedy, and that even if we won't ever be able to explain the "why", the resilience of humanity is the bond that the unites all of us.
