Not a regular Halloween

Today is Halloween - a day for children to let their imagination run free and pretend that they can be whatever they want to be for one day.  To have parties with their friends at school.  To walk through the community with their families, getting treats from the neighbors.  I am grateful that my daughters will be able to do that tonight.  Two students from Naperville elementary schools won't because their lives were tragically cut short last evening.  One of them is from my daughter's school.  As I watch the minutes tick by and wait for news that the students have been told one of their own is gone, I wonder how my daughter is.  Is she ok?  Did she know who this child was?  Is she scared?  I have been holding back the tears all morning.  I just want to hug her and tell her that I am here for her and everything will be ok.  I want desperately to be able to make those promises to her.  I know that I can't.  The world is a crazy and sometimes awful place.  Bad things happen that are out of my control.  All I can do is hug my daughters extra tight tonight, remember again that I am blessed beyond words, and say a prayer for those that will forever be effected by the events of last night.  If you are the praying kind, please say any extra one for them tonight.