Shining Your Light

I went to bed with a heavy heart last night after receiving the news that a dear friend’s father had passed away.

The news came after what has been a personally and professionally challenging month, and I finally let some tears release. None for me, but for a young boy, a little girl, a colleague, and family friend who has always been there for me.

When I woke up this morning and read a column written by Regina Brett about the death of Emilliano Terry, a three year old in the Cleveland area whose body was found in the trash this past week, I felt compelled to write.

She asked a question that I have been pondering for two weeks:

"What do we do for that boy and his brother? What do we do for all of the unloved, unwanted, broken children?
Make the net stronger, people will cry. That net that is the child welfare system, the foster care system, the web of counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists that tried to help Camilia.
But a net has holes. No matter how strong it is, children like Camilia and Emilliano will fall through.
The truth is, we’re the net. Each of us. We’re somebody’s net."

I know Regina didn’t write this column for me. She wrote it for Emilliano and thousands of others like him.

But she is so right. She wrote:

"May Emilliano Terry rest in peace, but not us. May his brief life cause us great unrest.
At his vigil they sang, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let in shine.”
His little light went out.
Where will we shine ours?"

It’s a big question. Where will we shine ours? When I go to church this morning, I’m going to think about that question for an entire hour. I’m going to sit next to my beautiful children and feed them snacks and try to get them to sit still and figure out where to shine my light during this holiday season.

For a young boy. A little girl. A colleague. A family friend. And for all the other Emilliano’s out there.

I hope you will, too.

Nicole is a former English teacher turned school counselor during the day. After her kids are tucked in and asleep at night, she loves to read, catch up on her favorite shows, and write for her blog, From Cleveland. WIth Love.