It is so hard to gaze at the photos of the little children senselessly taken in Uvalde. Look at them we must. It is important that we remember these wonderful lives lost.  It is important that we feel their parents' pain. Together, feeling this pain will inspire us to collaborate to find solutions to this senseless violence.

It is not hard to find loved ones nearby who are sharing in this indescribable grief. Right here in San Angelo a grandfather is mourning the loss of his wonderful grandson.  This is 8-year-old, Uziyah Garcia. His grandpa, Manny Renfro, shared this photo of his grandson taken on his visit to San Angelo on Spring Break.

Renfro told the Associated Press that Uziyah was "The sweetest little boy that I’ve ever known. “I’m not just saying that because he was my grandkid. We started throwing the football together and I was teaching him pass patterns. Such a fast little boy and he could catch a ball so good. There were certain plays that I would call that he would remember and he would do it exactly like we practiced.”

It is hard to write these words.  Wiping away tears, we all must resolve to tell these children's stories over and over again.  Sergio Garcia, Uziyah's father spoke at a recent prayer vigil for the victims of this horrific tragedy. “Enjoy y’all’s time with y’all’s kids because you never know… my son was innocent,” Sergio Garcia said wiping away the same collective teardrops all of us who stop to consider the barbarity of this tragedy must shed.

San Angelo and Uvalde seem like the last places on earth where a tragedy like this would be felt, yet here we are. Say a prayer for Uziyah. If you know Manny Renfro or others here in San Angelo who are so profoundly touched by his loss, or the loss of any of these innocent victims,  reach out and offer your support when the moment is right. If you are a person of faith, surround yourself in the comfort of knowing these lost children and teachers are now angels. They will never hurt again, but many of us will every day for the rest of our lives

 

 

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