A Personal Sadness,

A Community Kindness

(The Bee has received the following open letter for publication.)

Dear friends and neighbors:

The death of our daughter Sharon is a personal sadness of the greatest depth and pain. Our spirits are buoyed throughout this difficult time, however, by the tremendous outpouring of support we received from so many of you, our Newtown neighbors and friends.

Please know that we sincerely appreciate and hold dear your expressions of kindness. The outpouring was vast and we may not be able to personally connect with each and every one of you. We are using this Letter Hive to say thank you to those we might not soon talk with, and to share our appreciation for this community that is so kind in spirit when others are in need.

Bob and Pat Llodra

Riverside Road, Sandy Hook                                         August 5, 2009