Article posted Tuesday, December 18, 2012 10:59am

Dear Readers,

Instead of answering a question, I thought I would take this time to reflect for a moment. With the tragic events of last Friday in Connecticut, I think we all stopped and grieved for this tiny town going through something unimaginable. Most of us wondered why this happened. Some started looking for blame: Did anyone notice anything odd about the shooter beforehand? Did his mother or father do something wrong? Are gun laws to blame?

I don’t believe there is ever going to be a satisfactory answer. It was probably a sad and heartbreaking combination of many factors, most especially someone who was disturbed and willingly chose to carry out this evil act. As I see the debates beginning in the news and on Facebook, this issue is turning political. Instead of arguing with someone on social media, I choose to pray for these families instead. And I hope they can feel the love and support of everyone here in Door County and throughout the world. I’m also praying for the victims of the shooting at the Clackamas Mall in Portland.

As bad as this situation is, the one thing it does is remind us just how precious and short life can be. We never know when our time will come, so we should all live our lives to the fullest. Just as Bo was told us, you only live once (YOLO). With New Year’s resolutions coming around, let’s put this one at the top of the list.

Wishing everyone a very Merry and Blessed Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah and a wonderful New Year.

Good luck,

Mary Pat