28| The Tragic Death of Charlie Kirk & Talking to Kids about the World We Live In

Recorded spontaneously on the evening of Wednesday, September 10, 2025, this timely and heartfelt episode of Intentional Motherhood comes in response to the devastating news that shook Utah Valley University—and the broader Utah community.

As a professor at UVU, Kelsey Redd shares raw, personal reflection following the fatal shooting of political commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was killed during a campus event earlier that day. She addresses the deeply emotional weight of the tragedy—not only as a mother grieving the loss of a father to young children but also as an educator and neighbor grappling with the transformation of a place of learning into a scene of terror.

In this brief, reflective message, Kelsey explores how to explain such grief and violence to young children. Using the symbolism of the local Healing Field and the backdrop of remembering September 11, she offers a gentle approach rooted in faith: affirming that God has a plan, that peace and healing are possible, and that even amid tragedy, there is hope to hold onto.

Episode Transcript

Kelsey Redd (00:09):
Hi friends and welcome to Intentional
Motherhood, the podcast for momswho are doing our best to raise
good humans in a sometimes scaryworld. I'm your host, Kelsey
Redd, and I have this speciallast minute, episode that I'm
recording on the evening ofWednesday, 09/10/2025, after the

(00:31):
tragic events in my home stateof Utah. I had a different
podcast episode recorded andscheduled to be published
tomorrow morning. But in thewake of the tragic death of
Charlie Kirk on the Utah ValleyUniversity campus today, and

(00:53):
with the release scheduled fortomorrow, September 11, I
wouldn't feel right about notspeaking up and sharing a
message that I feel needs to beshared today. A lot of my
listeners probably don't knowthat I actually am a professor
at Utah Valley University, and Ifeel honestly really heartbroken

(01:17):
that our campus was turned intoa place of violence and hatred
and fear and terror.
It breaks my heart that thisuniversity will now be
remembered and known throughoutthe country for this horrible,
horrible tragedy, rather thanfor all the good that can and

(01:39):
has and should continue to comeout of the university, all the
good people, all the amazingyouth that are furthering their
education and becoming thefuture world leaders. I'm so
heartbroken for Charlie Kirk andhis sweet, sweet family, as a
wife and a mother, and as fellowmother listeners can relate. I

(02:04):
just can't even imagine losingmy husband, the father of my
children, in such a horrific andviolent way. I feel so sad for
those children who will now beraised without their father, and
will have the memory of thisviolent act as the end of his

(02:28):
life. It truly breaks my heart.
And I'm also heartbroken for ourcountry. Like I said, as the
release date of this episode isfirst thing tomorrow morning,
September 11, I already felt apoignant sadness and feeling of

(02:50):
memorializing the sacrifices ofthe lives lost twenty four years
ago in the nineeleven attacks.And I feel that strongly every
year. But now with this eventhappening today, it just feels
so much more poignant and deepthat we live in a country and in

(03:11):
a world where unfortunatelyviolence exists, and hatred
exists, and we are stilllearning how to work together
and to have respectful dialogueover differing opinions. What is
so tragic about the death ofCharlie Kirk is that he was such

(03:32):
a positive influence for therising generation.
He was a voice of courage andintegrity. And he was leading
the way for the upcominggeneration to speak up, to stand
for what they believe in, toreally bring out some amazing
future leaders for our countryand our world. It just breaks my

(03:56):
heart that now the risinggeneration who has followed him
and who is interested in him isnow seeing that this is the
repercussion? That doesn't makeany sense. It's so unfortunate.
And as a mom, I've been thinkingabout how to, how do I teach my

(04:17):
kids about the world we live in?Every September 11, there's a
really beautiful field near myhome called the Healing Field,
and they have a flag placed inthe ground for every life that
was lost in the Septembereleventh attacks. And we go
there every year, and my kidsare young, they don't really

(04:37):
understand, but I tell them, weread names, we walk through the
flags and we read the names ofthe people who died and I
explain to them that thefirefighters and first
responders are the heroes. Theywere heroes, they risked their
lives, they gave their livestrying to save people. And the
people who died in the attacksin the World Trade Centers are

(04:59):
to be honored for theirsacrifice.
And that this is we are soblessed to live in a free
country, but it comes withsacrifice. And today, as I've
been sitting with my emotionsand trying to go on functioning
as we have to as moms to takecare of kids and family, I just

(05:22):
haven't even known what words togive my children. I don't know
how to explain. I don't know howto explain the world we live in.
I don't know how to explain whythis happened.
I explained to them that a goodperson was killed by someone who
wanted to hurt him and do meanthings. But I don't know how to
explain why this happens. Theonly solace I've been able to

(05:48):
find and to hopefully adequatelyexpress to my children is that
God has a plan. That God has aplan for each individual person.
He has a plan for our country.
He has a plan for all hischildren collectively in the
world. And He has a plan forCharlie Kirk and his wife and

(06:12):
his sweet children. And thatthrough God, everything can be
made right. That somehow thingswill work together for our good,
even the horrible, tragicthings. That somehow good can
come because Christ atoned forthe sins of this world.

(06:35):
And I just pray for our country.I pray for the youth of our
nation who have the opportunityto 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 podcastbefore. I'm going to pray with
you for a moment. Dear God,please send Thy peace and Thy

(07:00):
comfort upon us at this time.
Send Thy peace that passes allunderstanding to the Kirk family
as they navigate this horribletragedy in their life. And God
bless our country. Bless theleaders of our country. Bless

(07:20):
the youth of our country tostand for what's right, to take
a stand, to be bold andcourageous in the face of
persecution so that we can buildThy kingdom on this earth. We
pray in Jesus' name, amen.
Thanks for being with me,friends, today on this sad,

(07:44):
unfortunate day that we allremember Charlie Kirk and others
who have given their lives indefense of our country. I pray
for you and your families. I'llsee you on the next episode of
Intentional Motherhood.