I spent two hours speaking with my young 6-year-old daughter tonight on my PC with an application called LINE which allows me to speak and see her on our phones or computers. Sometimes I get very angry that my daughter and I are not together. It breaks my heart every minute of the day. I just want our lives to be ‘normal’. The time I get to speak and see her is so precious. By far the most important times of my life now. I know things can and should be better than this and it destroys me.
On July 23, 2018 another father, Donny, I dare not say was lucky enough to be able to be spending time with his young 10-year-old daughter Julianna. They were having ice cream on a warm summer Monday night just like millions of other lucky fathers and daughters could only be lucky enough to be doing as well. Unfortunately, there was evil in the streets that night.
Both Julianna and Donny, her father, were senselessly shot while having ice cream. 13 other innocent people were also shot that evening. Julianna was rushed to the Hospital for Sick Children while her father Donny was separated from her and rushed to St. Michael’s Hospital.
At one point, it became clear that Donny’s little girl was not going to make it. Donny had himself sustained major injuries and had to be rushed by ambulance to Hospital for Sick Children to say good bye to little Julianna.
For me, this is the definition of pure sadness. This story re-frames my situation to me. No matter how difficult or how sucky my life might seem to me, I am sure it could be worse. I always know that I am a lucky man, but this story just amplifies it. The grief I feel in my heart for Donny Kozis and his family is immense.
The Kozis family have requested privacy as they continue to deal with their grief, but I am sure there are millions of people sharing their grief with them and no matter how alone they feel, they are not alone.
