New kind of normal

When tragedies happened in other places, like Oklahoma City or Columbine, I'd wondered what went on after the national news crews left. How did the city continue?It's been nearly 3 weeks since the shooting and life is starting to get back to normal here in Tucson. Gabrielle Giffords', or 'Gabby' as everyone in Tucson feels like we've earned the right to call her, health updates are no longer front page news. Instead today the newspaper quickly updates her move from the ICU to rehabilitation on the front page, full story on A3. When the first victim was buried, 9 yr old Christina Taylor Green, the story monopolized the front page. Two lines of 30 pt font, a picture that took up the whole page. Dot Morris, the last victim, was buried yesterday; her story shared the page with medical marijuana, budget cuts at the U of A, and a bill on abortion at the state senate.

Things are getting back to normal, a new normal, a different normal. An altered state. One where page A2 is unofficially dedicated to updates on our Representative - not on her progress politically, but just if she can stand up. And right next to those are reports from the trial of the man who tried to kill her.

But  in this bleakness, there's been beauty. The compassion and kindness in Tucson is overwhelming. Volunteers brought free meals for the medical staff at UMC; hundreds of people turned up at the funerals as a show of support from the community;  and spontaneous memorials have popped up all over the city. The lawn in front of UMC has been taken over by cards, candles, flowers, pictures, and wishes from all over the nation for the victims and their families.  Mementos left range from a child's colored in picture from a coloring book (you can almost hear him/her say, 'Here! I made it for you!') to a beautifully framed picture of Giffords on a horse, captioned, 'Cowgirl up, Gabby'.  Saints candles outline and illuminate the path through the collective outpouring, a reminder of the Catholic, Hispanic culture of Tucson and the Catholic faith of Judge Roll and little Christina. There's another memorial like this one down at Giffords' office. Flowers, candles, teddy bears, cards. And down at the Safeway. It's hard to describe what it's like at the store. There are just flowers; row upon row of flowers. So many that the air smells wonderful. It's a busy store and despite the cars coming and going and people walking by, it's a very still place. Just to the left of the entrance the flowers and the people who come to pay their respects seem to calm time so that what was done in madness may someday be redeemed by kindness.