the club no one wants to join

Yesterday a great many people in Virginia joined the unhappy ranks of the club none of us wanted to join.  Almost 15 years ago I sat in vigil waiting to learn the fate of my brother who was at school when a gunman showed up and started shooting, then took hostages for several hours.  While my brother came home in one piece other families were not so fortunate.  The anguished soul-rending cries of mothers who were informed of their loss is a sound I'll remember for the rest of my life.  While yesterday yesterday I was on the other side of the country, the sound of the screams of the mothers of those taken reached my ears once again.  I have no words of comfort to offer but my thoughts are with them, their families and their loved ones.