When expressing sympathy after someone has suffered a loss, "I'm sorry" is the default expression. Even when the deceased is someone you have known personally, the words may not be completely sincere.
You may be sorry, but grateful they lived such a long and fulfilling life. You may be sorry, but grateful they're no longer in pain. You may be sorry, but believed it was their time to go.
I don't personally know a single person who was killed in the Orlando nightclub shooting and yet I am truly, sincerely sorry for this loss.
To all of those who have lost someone in the Orlando shooting... I'm sorry that I've become so desensitized to mass shootings, I didn't initially feel the magnitude of this loss.
I'm sorry there is still such intolerance in this country.
I'm sorry this keeps happening.
I'm sorry I feel so helpless to prevent this from happening again.
I'm sorry there is still so much hatred.
I'm sorry this is so unfair.
I'm sorry I don't have all the answers.
I'm sorry I don't have a clear solution.
I'm sorry we tend to blame others before mourning your loss.
I'm sorry there are still those who hate others for who they choose to love.
I'm sorry there are those who hate others simply for who they are.
I'm sorry your pain will far outlast the news coverage of the event.
I'm sorry the face of your loved one's murderer will likely be more publicized than the face of your loved one.
I'm sorry your loved one did not deserve this.
I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to say goodbye.
I'm sorry your loved one is one of 50, as I know they are so much more than a number.
I'm sorry this tragedy so quickly has become a politically divisive issue.
I'm sorry your life will be forever changed by such a senseless act.
I'm sorry I don't fully understand your grief and I pray I never will.
I'm sorry the ache in my heart is absolutely nothing compared to what you must be feeling.
I'm sorry I can't promise this will never happen again.
Fifty lives were taken away in a senseless act. Fifty lives taken far too soon. Fifty people who were daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, partners, wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends and meant so much to so many people.
Each one of these 50 people have been loved and touched the lives of many others, who are intensely grieving. Each one of them have a throng of loved ones who long to hear their laughs, see their smiles, hear their voices and never will again. Each one of these people contributed something positive to the world and had much more to contribute in the years to come, making their loss a profound one not only to their loved ones but to everyone.
I profoundly hope we can unite and declare enough is enough. I hope we can put our differences aside enough to recognize that this is a problem that we must fix. I hope we can not just hope and pray about this event, but enact real change to prevent further innocent lives to be so senselessly lost. I hope we are better than this.
But today I'm just so sorry.
Donate to support the victims of the Pulse Orlando shooting here. Click here to find more information about blood donation in your area. If you're in the Orlando area, blood banks are currently at capacity, but will need to be replenished so please consider donating in the coming days and weeks.
This originally appeared on fortheloveofwineandcoffee.com Follow Farrah on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fortheloveofwineandcoffee/ and on Twitter @winecoffeelove