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There are No Words
Dec. 15th, 2012 08:14 amMy prayers and sympathies to everyone affected by this senseless tragedy. And it is senseless because we are never going to make sense of what happened. We will find reasons down the line but there will never be any sense to it.
Caroline’s school recently got cameras and magnetic locks on all the doors so you can push a bar to get out but the door will not open from the outside without a button being pushed. We have had a door monitor for years. I have become good friends with several of them. The reason for the extra security? There was a pharmacy that opened up really near the school. There was a concern that what if someone robbed the drug store and then ran into the school for hostages and I hate to say that such concerns aren’t out of place.
The school where the shooting happened had all those security measures. He was buzzed in because he was recognized as the son of an employee and the assumption was that he was there to see his mother. I have a feeling that IDs and where people are going is going to be tightened down again.
I gave Caroline such a hug when she came home from school. She squirmed a bit because I was hugging her so hard but she hugged me back before going to play with her toys. Tonight she is going to have her first sleep over with one of her school friends. They have a movie night and play date all planned out.
I feel sadness in my chest wondering how many of those children had play dates with their friends for this weekend. How many activities aren’t happening now? How many unwrapped presents there will be this holiday season?
As a parent, what happened yesterday is one of the worst fears that one can have. You send your children to school and except that they will be safe there and taken care of. This is the place you entrust your children to. Now we have to explain to our children what happened and why. I have to say the best thing I have read on the topic was from the Fred Rogers Foundation which can be found here . It gives parents clear ways to talk to their kids about what happened and how to approach it. And listening to Mr. Rogers made me feel a little better.
I am so very grateful that I could hug my daughter tightly yesterday.
Caroline’s school recently got cameras and magnetic locks on all the doors so you can push a bar to get out but the door will not open from the outside without a button being pushed. We have had a door monitor for years. I have become good friends with several of them. The reason for the extra security? There was a pharmacy that opened up really near the school. There was a concern that what if someone robbed the drug store and then ran into the school for hostages and I hate to say that such concerns aren’t out of place.
The school where the shooting happened had all those security measures. He was buzzed in because he was recognized as the son of an employee and the assumption was that he was there to see his mother. I have a feeling that IDs and where people are going is going to be tightened down again.
I gave Caroline such a hug when she came home from school. She squirmed a bit because I was hugging her so hard but she hugged me back before going to play with her toys. Tonight she is going to have her first sleep over with one of her school friends. They have a movie night and play date all planned out.
I feel sadness in my chest wondering how many of those children had play dates with their friends for this weekend. How many activities aren’t happening now? How many unwrapped presents there will be this holiday season?
As a parent, what happened yesterday is one of the worst fears that one can have. You send your children to school and except that they will be safe there and taken care of. This is the place you entrust your children to. Now we have to explain to our children what happened and why. I have to say the best thing I have read on the topic was from the Fred Rogers Foundation which can be found here . It gives parents clear ways to talk to their kids about what happened and how to approach it. And listening to Mr. Rogers made me feel a little better.
I am so very grateful that I could hug my daughter tightly yesterday.
