10/19/2026
Bend, Oregon is my home.
And right now, my community is hurting.
The shooting at Silver Rail Elementary last week has left families facing unimaginable loss, children and educators carrying trauma, and an entire community grieving.
My heart is with the victims, their families, the teachers and school staff, and everyone whose sense of safety has been shaken. In the middle of this heartbreak, people are showing up. Families are organizing meals. Neighbors and local businesses are raising funds. Mental health professionals are creating spaces for support. People are gathering to remember, to cry, and to be together.
Through my work around resilience, burnout, and mental health, I often talk about the importance of human connection. This week, those words feel especially personal.
Resilience can mean accepting help when you have nothing left to give. It can mean making room for grief, asking someone to sit beside you, or simply getting through the next hour. Nobody should feel pressure to turn this pain into a lesson or rush toward being okay.
For those of us who lead teams, this is a moment to offer flexibility, adjust expectations, and remember that people carry what happens in their communities into their workplaces.
And for all of us, the responsibility is to keep showing up in the weeks and months ahead, when the headlines fade and the grief remains.
Bend, I am grieving with you. To every family, student, and educator affected: you deserve care, time, and support for as long as you need it.
