I have been holding my Boulder community in my heart after the horrible King Soopers shooting just two weeks ago. I am always horrified when there are mass shootings, but this one hit very close to home. The King Soopers grocery store is just a short walk from my office, and I often go there to pick up groceries or lunch. It felt strange to get the news that my office was closing down due to a shooting in the neighborhood as I was driving through the mountains for a spring break trip to the southwest with my husband and daughter. I tried not to think about the shooting and be present with my friends who were showing us around their ranch outside of Durango, but I was distracted and a bit irritable.
But I still would never have imagined that I would know one of the victims. But on Tuesday afternoon, a reporter from the New York Times contacted me wanting to know more about one of the victims of the shooting, who was my generous, loving next door neighbor when we were living in Broomfield (Suzanne Fountain). And soon discovered I knew another victim (Lonna Bartkowiak), who was the owner of my favorite clothing store in Boulder. So it really hit me closer to home, even though I was far from home. After a cry and a hug, I called the reporter back and told him what a wonderful neighbor Suzanne had been, about how she would share her vegetables and herbs with us, and always had an ear to listen, and how much we would miss her.
And then I took a deep breath and got to meet my friends’ horses. They were so gentle and loving and there was something comforting about staring into their dark eyes and feeling their nuzzles. It was our turn to ride the horses, so I climbed up onto the horse and started riding Star, a 20 year old mare. A few minutes after getting on her back, she started loping and bucking and almost succeeded in throwing me off, but I held on! Whew! That was wild, to feel my life be threatened so shortly after hearing about a friend who had lost her life. But I remembered that horses are sensitive animals, and can feel emotions, and wondered what Star might have been picking up on. So, I took some deep breaths and relaxed my body as best as I could, and the rest of the ride was peaceful.
Needless to say, later in the day, I was pretty tense and emotional. My friends knew exactly what I needed, and brought us to a beautiful wild hot springs where I let my tears flow and sang some songs for those who lost their lives, as well as for our country, where these violent events have been happening way too frequently.
Have you been feeling scared, having trouble sleeping, irritable, sad, angry, or exhausted? Those are all normal responses to community trauma. Read on to learn some ways to support yourself through community trauma.
If you or someone you know was present at the shooting or lost a family member, please reach out to me to schedule a complementary bodywork session.
Wishing you peace and healing,
Laura Rose
Even if you don’t know someone who was a victim in the most recent shooting, you can still feel the ripple effects of the community trauma.
Here are some ways to take care of yourself during these times of crisis:
- Connect with nature – go outside and let yourself be held by the earth. Let your tears flow. It can be especially healing to be near a body of water.
- Shake it off – Animals can be seen shaking after trauma, and it works for humans too (with Lisa Wimberger from Neurosculpting Institute
- Anchor your nervous system in the present moment with visual orienting (from my friend Amy Lynn who is a therapist)
- Get a good night sleep! This is a great article about getting good sleep during times of crisis from Damiana Corca, an acupuncturist who specializes in Insomnia.
- Allow yourself to grieve – too many of us suppress the feelings of grief and want them to go away sooner than they are ready to – watch this video about grief by Francis Weller, a grief specialist.
- Get yourself some bodywork! I am back in Colorado after a fun adventure in the southwest and I have times available for you.
