This Life.

Yesterday, I watched the Today Show do a beautiful piece paying homage to the 13 victims of the Columbine shooting that occurred on April 20, 1999. I sat there with tears streaming down my face as pictures of the school and former students went across the screen. Bayley continued to play, but there was I -- stuck in awe and in my memories. Tomorrow marks twenty years since this tragic day.



The principal of Columbine High, Frank DeAngelis, vowed to stay at the high school until all students affected by the tragedy, including students in elementary school in 1999, had graduated from the school. When the students first returned to school, parents lined the walkways as students entered the building -- a sign of support. The motto that developed shortly after this horrific event was "We are Columbine", reflecting the community and support surrounding the school and students following the shooting.

And the truth is, if you're a thirty-something, we are all Columbine.

Though we weren't in the school that day, our stories and lives are forever changed by that one event.

A couple of days ago, Jeremy and I were watching The Sandlot -- both of us commenting on how awesome it was to be a child of the 90s. There was such innocence and simplicity. Movies were not computer generated. Television shows at primetime were for the entire family. We played outside and ran through sprinklers. But something changed on April 20th 1999. We suddenly became aware that our lives weren't so innocent and protected. It was the first time most of us realized there was evil present in the world. And for me, it's the first time I can remember praying for others outside of my own familiar circle. We were shaken because the world was not good by our definition.

We sat in our homerooms with doors locked. We became familiar with the terms "lock down".  We matured in an instant.

We are all Columbine because we emerged as a generation bound together by a tragedy but determined to move forward. We realized our lives are lived for a purpose that is not to be weighed down by fear. We are forever changed.