Tis the Season! A time of celebrating the milestones you’ve made personally and professionally. The time when decorations, lights and Christmas trees go up, presents start appearing, and we remember that HE is the reason for the season. Its also the time of the corporate Christmas parties where employers and employees celebrate another year gone by, imbibe on too much Christmas food and beverage, and chuckle a bit about that crazy Christmas sweater.

This year a company gathering was held at the Inland Regional Center. I’m sure there was the usual company politics, the jockeying for position, and the ‘did you SEE what he/she is wearing?!’ commentary. Over it all was the anticipation of Christmas. A season of joy. A season of celebration. A season of faith and good will.

Yet in one abrupt brutal moment, all of that came to a halt. Two terrorists, one of whom masqueraded as an employee for that company, walked in wearing combat gear and carrying weapons. They opened fire leaving 21 wounded and 14 dead. While we’ve understandably worked to shine a bright and focused laser light on the terrorist perpetrators, we must not and shall not forget those who are suffering and those who died at the hands of terrorism. They. Have. Names.