It has been a dark time of unfathomable sorrow where I live in Nashville. Three adorable children and three amazing adults were killed.

Nashville is a little city with a big heart. We’re all connected in some manner, which means we’ve all been affected by the lives and deaths of all six of these people. I knew one of the victims, Katherine Koonce, and I will mourn the loss of the intelligence, strength, generosity, and humor she gave to our community for the rest of my life.

In my 30 years of counseling children, I’ve sat with thousands of families as a therapist. I understand the anguish and worry that comes with attempting to guide children through trauma. Thus, when I learned about the incident, my initial instinct was that we should never have to have these discussions with anyone, least alone children.

But when I spent time with the Covenant families—both in the reunion center and in a conference for parents and teachers—I discovered they needed help knowing how to talk to their children about what feels incomprehensible.

How can parents teach their children about what happened, both in Nashville and at other schools around the country?

First and foremost, remain cool while conversing with your children. They must believe that you are a secure location for them to ask inquiries and process their emotions.

Second, attempt to be your children’s major source of information. They must be informed about the problem not just factually, but also in an age-appropriate manner.

Third, let them to lead the discussion and ask the questions. Children are born with the ability to request information.

Fourth, ask them what emotions they are having and give them space to feel all of them.

Lastly, don’t talk about your feelings with them. Instead, schedule time in your day to process your own ideas and feelings away from them.

Sixth, discuss what they have control over. What can people do if they become nervous or afraid? Inquire about what will make them feel comfortable at school.

Seventh, consider the helpers involved (teachers, police officers, etc.) and consider how your own family may aid in the circumstance.

Eighth, don’t feel obligated to know all the answers.

Ninth, remind them of the facts you are aware of. Reconnect to the fundamental realities of God being with you and God being with them. God also loves them. God is also sorrowful.

I was requested to do an interview for CNN about this very topic on Tuesday morning.

And when I arrived at the address given to me, I had no idea it was right across the street from Covenant. I hadn’t dressed warmly enough for an interview outside. I was standing next to the reporter, prepared to go live on national television. I’m not sure if it was because of the cold or because I was nervous, but I found myself shivering and fighting back tears—and I was struggling to keep myself together.

But then I noticed two banners across the street at Covenant. The first sign was for the school and church, and the second was for the approaching Easter service next week. And for some reason, seeing those two placards gave me great comfort at the time.

Easter is the only true solution we have right now, our only brightness in these dark days. Christ has passed away. Christ has risen from the dead. Christ will return.