We are with you.

On Sunday Chad, Cali and I were taking time to remember Camden by attending a ceremony honoring him and many other babies who died all too soon. Camden has a plaque honoring the short life he lived at The Garden of Hope memorial in Intercourse. Each year they conduct a service for families and loved ones to come and remember their child or children through a balloon release and name reading.

This year the weather couldn't have been more beautiful. The sun was shinning, while a strong breeze blew through the open windows of the rustic barn where we gathered. The countryside was picturesque, with rolling hills and farmland for miles. While we sat and waited for the ceremony to begin, two young adult woman serenaded us with simple acoustic music. Tissues in hand, Chad by my side, I was ready to grieve the loss of Camden. But something odd happened. I began to cry but not about my own loss.

You see on the same day we were remembering Camden's life, 49 other people lost their lives to a senseless act of hate and terrorism. I was thinking about all the mother's and father's who were receiving phone calls from officials telling them their child was killed. Not they had died but they were killed by a gunman. I can remember the night Camden died like it was yesterday. I can replay it over and over again. It's something I will never forget. And it's something these parents will never forget. The only benefit I had, compared to these parents were, my son died from a "natural" cause. It cannot be explained but he died peacefully in his sleep. These parent's children were taken by gunpoint and killed by a hateful person. Their children were terrified before they died. They were helpless. These parents get to replay their child's death on TV 24 hours a day for the next couple of weeks, until the next big mass shooting happens. These parents get to watch their children's lives be used for a political agenda during an election year.

As you can see these parents have a lot to work through after losing their child to a hateful crime. Just like you did for Chad and I, I ask you give these families the respect and grace you bestowed upon us. Instead of engaging in a political debate over gun control or immigration, offer up your prayers for these families. Take extra time to talk with your loved ones about acceptance and tolerance. Talk about these tough issues with one another but not on Facebook for the world to see and for these parents to read. Remember the victims of this tragedy and turn off the news.

Sad things will continue to happen. It's inevitable. It's up to us, regular everyday people, to set the tone for how we will respond. Not the news, not Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton and certainly not social media. Log off and morn with these families the way you wish people would morn for you in the wake of a horrible tragedy. Be in the moment, understand the sadness and hurt the word is going through. It's more then a hashtag or a profile picture, it's 49 people's lives. It's 49 children who have died were killed.