@emerynangilau: The aftermath of gun violence is so much more than a headline. It’s families gathering in disbelief. It’s tears, prayers, embraces, and trying to make sense of something that never should have happened. We gathered to mourn someone we love, but also to remind one another that life is too precious and family is too important to let anger, pride, or one moment of violence take away what can never be replaced. Our community is too small and our families are too connected for us to keep hurting one another and then gathering together to mourn afterward. As Tongans, family is at the heart of who we are. Our ‘ofa, our faka‘apa‘apa, and the way we care for one another should extend beyond our own homes and families. At some point, someone else’s cousin is our cousin, someone else’s family is connected to ours, and their loss becomes a loss felt throughout our community. May we learn from this. May we love each other harder, forgive sooner, walk away when we can, and teach the generations coming behind us that no anger, pride, disrespect, or retaliation is worth a life. No family should have to gather like this. 🕊️🤍

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Tuesday 18 August 2026 06:11:20 GMT