Holiday Shopping

I have always wanted to work in the gift wrap department at Macy's during the holidays. I just think it would be fun. That seems to be the the reason why Beverly Flynn was working at Von Maur store at the mall in Omaha. In addition to being a gift wrapper she was a mother, a wife, a real estate agent and I am sure many other things that the newspapers fail to mention. And now she is dead because someone pulled a trigger and shot her and others. As old as I am, I do remember being a confused teenager even a confused adult thinking life was so awful at times. I am afraid that so many of us do not understand that all things will pass and that killing yourself or others is not an answer to the pain and hurt you are feeling right now. There are other ways to make the pain stop that do not include picking up a gun and changing the lives of everyone around you forever. Your pain has stopped, so many others is just beginning. I won't mention his name because I don't want to add to his desire to be important, but I will mention:

Gary Scharf, 48, a customer and resident of Lincoln; John McDonald, 65, a customer and resident of Council Bluffs, Iowa; Angella Schuster, 36, an employee; Maggie Webb, 24, an employee; Janet Jorgenson, 66, an employee; Dianne Trent, 53, an employee; Gary Joy, 56, an employee; and Beverly Flynn, 47, an employee.

As you wrap your gifts this holiday season just take a moment and vow to listen to your friends, your family, your kids, everyone around you, really listen cause you never know when you might be able to help them help themselves.