Riverside Files: It's Been a Long Road

It's hard to know where to start about what took place at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Riverside Park today. Every parking space was taken up and down Crystal Avenue, Adelaide Street and all the streets surrounding Riverside and into the park. Trying to navigate through the crowds of people making their way into Riverside was an exercise in restraint.

The ceremony began promptly at eleven, under a sky seeming to threaten rain at any moment, with opening remarks by Bill Lavin, president of the New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association who is heading up a project to build 26 playgrounds in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, to honor the 20 children and six adults who died in the December 14th shooting in Newtown.

I think it's safe to say that most people at Riverside today expected an emotional experience but I don't think anyone had any idea of how emotional it would be until Corina Vendetto spoke, and with tears in her eyes and her voice quavering, attempted to explain what working to bring Emilie's Shady Spot to this spot has meant to her and so many others.

I, along with others, was able to make it through with only the start of tears but when a group of little children from Stonington, the oldest looking no more than five and each one looking like an angel, began to sing “You are my sunshine” all was lost and tears began to flow freely.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamt I held you in my arms
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I hung my head, and I cried

I'll always love you and make you happy
If you will only say the same
But if you leave me to love another,
You'll regret it all one day

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

Please don't take my sunshine away”

It was Robbie Parker who, while thanking everyone involved for Emilie's Shady Spot, spoke most eloquently and poignantly of his daughter, little Emilie Parker, her love of life, what her loss has meant to the family and the families hope for what we may all learn from this tragedy.

"Let it not turn into something that defines us, but something that inspires us to be better, to be more a compassionate and humble people.

Surely, that is not too much to ask for the gift that has been given to us.