What Can You Say

I remember that feeling following 9/11, to never want to ride an airplane again and not wanting to go into NYC or any city for that matter.  I lived in King of Prussia at the time and every bit of me wanted to escape to my grandmother's lake house where no terrorist would care to find me.  Today the news about the school shootings was equally shocking and devastating.  While just down the street from me sat my own Kindergartener in his little classroom in his small town school.  This could have been my child as easily as it was these children in Connecticut. 

The difference between 9/11 and now is that I am a mother. There is no greater desire as a mother than to protect your child.  I have to remember that on Monday even though I will feel that ping to keep Cole home, I must treat drop off like today.  We live in a fallen world where terrible things happen.  How as parents can we keep our children safe? There is no assurance of a new day in this life.  For now I will take this tragedy as a reminder to sit and snuggle when my kids ask me to.  When I am bombarded with a little body in the middle night. I will resist the scolding and take the love.

 I will weep tonight after my children go to bed and say a prayer for those parents.  I won't engage in a debate about guns or mental illness, I will try to honor the lost children's memories by making sure my children are protected from knowing that in this world exists cowardly monsters who kill children in their classrooms.