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We live at a time when cynicism is alive and well; when we rightfully denigrate misguided Democrats; when we condemn people who defy the law and put the rest of the community at risk; when we cry out when people who think they are in the wrong body are mutilated rather than counseled.
But there are children we can look to who will remind us that all is not lost in our current culture. That when tragedy walks in the door (or shoots through a stained-glass window), there are children who demonstrate love and heroism in the blink of an eye.
That’s what happened when Weston Halsne, 10 years old, heard shots as he attended the first Mass of the school year at the church of the Annunciation School. This is how Weston explained the experience:
Weston Halsne was sitting in a pew near the windows where a gunman pointed a rifle and began firing shots at children who had gathered for Mass at the Annunciation Church to celebrate their first week back in school. ‘I was like two seats away from the stained-glass windows so ... the shots were like right next to me,’ the fifth grader told NBC News after being reunited with his family. Weston described the moment gunfire rang out as ‘really scary,’ but credits one of his friends, who he identified as Victor, with saving his life. ‘The first [shot] I was like, 'What is that?' I thought it was just something. Then I heard again, I just ran under the pew, and then I covered my head,’ he said. ‘My friend Victor like saved me, though, because he laid on top of me, but he got hit.’ Weston said his friend was shot in the back during the shooting, but was not among those killed. ‘He's really brave, and I hope he's good in the hospital,’ Weston said.
There were two facts that struck me as I listened to Weston tell the story. The first is that he quickly expressed his gratitude for the friend who had protected him. His concern for Victor’s wellbeing was also touching, given that he could easily have been self-absorbed due to the trauma.
The second fact was the action of Weston’s friend, Victor. His move to lie on top of his friend with a disregard for his own safety can only be described as heroic. You can’t teach that to a child. But I suspect that his parents taught him something about compassion, care and selflessness, especially towards those in our lives.
I, too, hope that Victor is “good in the hospital.”
Discussion (13)
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John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
God bless you Victor. You are a hero !
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Just beautiful, Kevin. Thank you.
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You can teach children to be heroic. Teaching by example is the most effective way.
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Dave, I guess I was thinking that a true heroic moment doesn't occur very often, so a parent may not have many opportunities to demonstrate heroic behavior. I think the word, hero, in recent years has been used gratuitously, and I didn't want to go in that direction. But certainly good actions are powerful when demonstrated.
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Annunciation provides a Pre-K through 8th grade education. Older students are paired with younger students to escort and look after the younger students. Like many Catholic school's families send their children to a school like Annunciation because the parents know each other and they know all the children. The parents become active participants as volunteers in the education of all the children in a school like the Annunciation School.
On that awful day there are students that looked after and protected their classmates during the shooting.
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