28| The Tragic Death of Charlie Kirk & Talking to Kids about the World We Live In
Hi friends and welcome to Intentional Motherhood, the podcast for moms who are doing our best to raise good humans in a sometimes scary world. I'm your host, Kelsey Redd, and I have this special last minute, episode that I'm recording on the evening of Wednesday, 09/10/2025, after the tragic events in my home state of Utah. I had a different podcast episode recorded and scheduled to be published tomorrow morning. But in the wake of the tragic death of Charlie Kirk on the Utah Valley University campus today, and with the release scheduled for tomorrow, September 11, I wouldn't feel right about not speaking up and sharing a message that I feel needs to be shared today. A lot of my listeners probably don't know that I actually am a professor at Utah Valley University, and I feel honestly really heartbroken that our campus was turned into a place of violence and hatred and fear and terror.
Kelsey Redd:It breaks my heart that this university will now be remembered and known throughout the country for this horrible, horrible tragedy, rather than for all the good that can and has and should continue to come out of the university, all the good people, all the amazing youth that are furthering their education and becoming the future world leaders. I'm so heartbroken for Charlie Kirk and his sweet, sweet family, as a wife and a mother, and as fellow mother listeners can relate. I just can't even imagine losing my husband, the father of my children, in such a horrific and violent way. I feel so sad for those children who will now be raised without their father, and will have the memory of this violent act as the end of his life. It truly breaks my heart.
Kelsey Redd:And I'm also heartbroken for our country. Like I said, as the release date of this episode is first thing tomorrow morning, September 11, I already felt a poignant sadness and feeling of memorializing the sacrifices of the lives lost twenty four years ago in the nineeleven attacks. And I feel that strongly every year. But now with this event happening today, it just feels so much more poignant and deep that we live in a country and in a world where unfortunately violence exists, and hatred exists, and we are still learning how to work together and to have respectful dialogue over differing opinions. What is so tragic about the death of Charlie Kirk is that he was such a positive influence for the rising generation.
Kelsey Redd:He was a voice of courage and integrity. And he was leading the way for the upcoming generation to speak up, to stand for what they believe in, to really bring out some amazing future leaders for our country and our world. It just breaks my heart that now the rising generation who has followed him and who is interested in him is now seeing that this is the repercussion? That doesn't make any sense. It's so unfortunate.
Kelsey Redd:And as a mom, I've been thinking about how to, how do I teach my kids about the world we live in? Every September 11, there's a really beautiful field near my home called the Healing Field, and they have a flag placed in the ground for every life that was lost in the September eleventh attacks. And we go there every year, and my kids are young, they don't really understand, but I tell them, we read names, we walk through the flags and we read the names of the people who died and I explain to them that the firefighters and first responders are the heroes. They were heroes, they risked their lives, they gave their lives trying to save people. And the people who died in the attacks in the World Trade Centers are to be honored for their sacrifice.
Kelsey Redd:And that this is we are so blessed to live in a free country, but it comes with sacrifice. And today, as I've been sitting with my emotions and trying to go on functioning as we have to as moms to take care of kids and family, I just haven't even known what words to give my children. I don't know how to explain. I don't know how to explain the world we live in. I don't know how to explain why this happened.
Kelsey Redd:I explained to them that a good person was killed by someone who wanted to hurt him and do mean things. But I don't know how to explain why this happens. The only solace I've been able to find and to hopefully adequately express to my children is that God has a plan. That God has a plan for each individual person. He has a plan for our country.
Kelsey Redd:He has a plan for all his children collectively in the world. And He has a plan for Charlie Kirk and his wife and his sweet children. And that through God, everything can be made right. That somehow things will work together for our good, even the horrible, tragic things. That somehow good can come because Christ atoned for the sins of this world.
Kelsey Redd:And I just pray for our country. I pray for the youth of our nation who have the opportunity to step up and become the future leaders of this world. In fact, I'm going to do something that I have never done on this podcast before. I'm going to pray with you for a moment. Dear God, please send Thy peace and Thy comfort upon us at this time.
Kelsey Redd:Send Thy peace that passes all understanding to the Kirk family as they navigate this horrible tragedy in their life. And God bless our country. Bless the leaders of our country. Bless the youth of our country to stand for what's right, to take a stand, to be bold and courageous in the face of persecution so that we can build Thy kingdom on this earth. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.
Kelsey Redd:Thanks for being with me, friends, today on this sad, unfortunate day that we all remember Charlie Kirk and others who have given their lives in defense of our country. I pray for you and your families. I'll see you on the next episode of Intentional Motherhood.