Who is Emilie Alice Parker?

emilie alice parker

Emilie Alice Parker is my little girl, your little girl, and the beloved daughter of Robbie and Alissa Parker. She is so much more than just a name or a number on a list of victims. And I think this is the most important thing that each of us understand. Each one of these human beings, individually, are our Daughters, Sisters, Mothers, Cousins, Aunts and most beloved friends.
And as much as we might care not to think about it, the one who carried out these horrific killings was also our Son and Brother.
And no one could have said this better, or in a more powerful and compassionate way, than little Emilie’s Father. When interviewed, just 24 hours after the shootings, Robbie Parker offered this message for the family of the gunman who killed his 6-year-old daughter and 19 of her school mates.
“I can’t imagine how hard this experience must be for you, and I want you to know that our family and our love and our support goes out to you as well”

What courage, compassion, unconditional love and wisdom that this man had at a time that most of us cannot even begin to fathom. And what a powerful message he sent to each one of us. He and his little girl became our teachers for a generation, and perhaps future generations to come. Each one of those human beings have shown us how much of a Family that we all are. And they each showed us that this life is truly impermanent and to be lived fully each and every moment. How precious we are to each one another, and how joyfully and sadly we experience this life; whether we are in the same house, or thousands of miles away. We are all Family, we are all profoundly and deeply connected.

I ask each of you to celebrate the lives of all those who’s lives ended and hold them dear in your heart. Let each of them be our teachers, that we make awaken to the fragility of this life with immense gratitude and deep unconditional love. I believe that this is how we can best honor them and love them, and with a great compassion, may also hold all those survivors close in our hearts. For those families and children are our Family too.

May peace be with each of them, and may peace be with you.

Charlotte Bacon, 6
Daniel Barden, 7
Rachel Davino, 29
Olivia Engel, 6
Josephine Gay, 7
Ana Marquez-Greene, 6
Dylan Hockley, 6
Dawn Hochsprung, 47
Madeleine Hsu, 6
Catherine Hubbard, 6
Chase Kowalski, 7
Jesse Lewis, 6
James Mattioli, 6
Grace McDonnell, 7
Anne Marie Murphy, 52
Emilie Parker, 6
Jack Pinto, 6
Noah Pozner, 6
Caroline Previdi, 6
Jessica Rekos, 6
Avielle Richman, 6
Lauren Rousseau, 30
Mary Sherlach, 56
Victoria Soto,27
Benjamin Wheeler, 6
Allison Wyatt, 6

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