They will always be children.

I'm been struggling with how I might address the horrific tragedy that visited Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT last Friday morning. 

My college-aged daughter phoned me just after it happened and neither of us mentioned a word. It was too tough. My two-year old has been picked up and dropped off at preschool twice since it happened and neither time can I face the reality of it all.

I can't find the words yet. Maybe I never will. But I keep thinking of that Olympic commercial where the brand says "To their moms, they'll always be kids." I know it's ridiculously trivial, but it's all I can allow to cloud my thinking and remind me that to every parent, they will always be kids. Maybe I'm pretending that it didn't happen and that life is nothing more than one big marketing campaign, but it's all I can do to not weep incessantly for the parents left behind.

To those parents, we ache as a nation for peace for you.

To an entire nation, the following babies will forever be heroes:

Charlotte Bacon, Feb. 22, 2006

Daniel Barden, Sept. 25, 2005

Rachel Davino, July 17, 1983

Olivia Engel, July 18, 2006

Josephine Gay, Dec. 11, 2005

Ana M. Marquez-Greene, April 4, 2006

Dylan Hockley, March 8, 2006

Dawn Hochsprung, June 28, 1965

Madeleine F. Hsu, July 10, 2006

Catherine V. Hubbard, June 8, 2006

Chase Kowalski, Oct. 31, 2005

Jesse Lewis, June 30, 2006

James Mattioli, March 22, 2006

Grace McDonnell, Nov. 4, 2005

Anne Marie Murphy, July 25, 1960

Emilie Parker, May 12, 2006

Jack Pinto, May 6, 2006

Noah Pozner, Nov. 20, 2006

Caroline Previdi, Sept. 7, 2006

Jessica Rekos, May 10, 2006

Avielle Richman, Oct. 17, 2006

Lauren Rousseau, June of 1982

Mary Sherlach, Feb. 11, 1956

Victoria Soto, Nov. 4, 1985

Benjamin Wheeler, Sept. 12, 2006

Allison N. Wyatt, July 3, 2006

Here's to the moms and dads of those little lost angels...thank you.