Advent Calendar Day #16 -- Silent Night

I have struggled with this calendar the last couple of days. I started it as a way to celebrate the holidays and share a lot (LOT) of pictures of my kids. In the face of such tremendous tragedy, it seems almost unbearable to put up Santas and reindeers.Yet, that is the job of the living -- to continue on. I do not honor those lost children but living less with my kids, I honor them by living more fully. I know those parents would say to us "Hold on to your babies and enjoy every minute" and "Don't miss a moment" so I am choosing to continue. My children (thank God) are happy and whole and dreaming of sugarplums. I can and must support them in that. So I will continue the calendar.Last night's Saturday Night Live really captured how I was feeling. I turned it on expecting silly laughs but the show started with this...And then Martin Short came on to give us much needed laughter. But I applaud SNL for taking a quiet, beautiful moment to honor the victims of this tragedy.Tonight as the house quiets, when the little ones have finally given in to the pull of sleep, I will be thanking God that I have my beauties to kiss good night and tuck into bed. If ever I felt blessed in my simple life, I will in that moment. I wish you all a safe and silent night.To those who are suffering I wish that they truly may "sleep in heavenly peace". They are in my prayers. Beyond that, I can only hug my children one more time for them, stroke their sweated brow one more time for them, and try my best to love my sweet, blessed children a little more for them. May God bless you all on this and every night.