I was originally going to write a post about the over commercialization of Valentine’s Day until I heard the news regarding another deadly school shooting in Florida. My Facebook newsfeed is now filled with gun control arguments and the mocking of people’s “thoughts and prayers”. Undoubtedly I felt anger after reading the news and realizing the circumstances regarding this event because in this case, it sounds to me like it could have been prevented. Did the Uber driver not think it was weird this kid had a massive backpack and a duffle bag after they dropped him off at the high school while class was actually going on? There are so many questions unanswered yet that ultimately changes nothing.
My goal with this place on the internet has always been to provide some bit of hope in a hopeless world. I will keep proclaiming that love can overcome hate because I have witnessed it many times. Right now I don’t feel like much love is going around. I feel like some people are just waiting for the next school shooting so they can make their social media a platform to complain about the current state of our union.
No doubt something needs to be done so this madness can stop. There are many complex issues for our current situation. Honestly, until the next cycle of elections happen – what can we really do right now? We can keep complaining and spewing negativity all over the internet and posting up firearm stats and blame everything on those we have elected or we can possibly live our lives a bit differently. I don’t know maybe we can actually grieve and mourn for and with these families and allow the dust to settle before we get into another political social media war. Maybe we actually donate to the victims. Maybe we consciously choose to be a bit nicer to everyone in our sphere of influence on a daily basis. Maybe we get to know people on a more personal level so we can be aware of others’ struggles and offer to help them when they are showing signs of pain or anger. In some cases we may have to call the authorities because someone is past the point of helping.
How many people actually know their neighbor’s names? Thanks to my husband’s outgoing personality we are getting to know those on each side of us and across from us as we are fairly new to our neighborhood. We have to watch out for each other and be an actual part of the community we live in. We need to band together and help where we can in our local town.
Maybe in a way this shooter got what he wanted. He not only killed 17 people in a fit of premeditated murder but he stirred the pot even more among people we are supposed to call our friends. People we are supposed to care about. I have yet to unfriend someone because they believe something different than me. It’s not my style. I will however unfriend someone for being just plain mean and rude and demeaning to others on social media consistently.
Maybe if we got more involved in our community and reached out to those that are hurting, our outlook on those that have real struggles in their lives might change. I encourage everyone to find out how to volunteer with your city’s homeless population to get some perspective of how our society is broken. In no way am I saying that any murder is justified because of someone’s upbringing but we have to realize and admit that it is a contributing factor and the reality of broken homes in our country is only growing. Our country’s lack of support for mental health is another contributing factor. I hear some crazy news story DAILY about sexual abuse, neglect or starvation of children by their own parents or relatives. So many boyfriends killing their girlfriend’s kid or kids. Family members killing others in horrific murder/suicides. What is wrong with our society? Why are we so apathetic to our reality and how does no one around them even know it’s happening until it’s too late? Do we say it’s not our problem because it’s not our family? The truth is, if we remain apathetic and uninvolved in the world around us, it will be our problem when those abused children grow up hating the world and turn into the next Nikolas Cruz. The main question is – how do we change our society? My answer has always been we stop living by our emotions and we consciously choose love. We care about others – we offer to help. The saying “it takes a village to raise a child” has never been so true. We are siloed – but we can change that!
In light of this tragedy, I choose to be kind. I actually want to act as if every day is Valentine’s Day. Not in the commercial sense of course, but in my daily life. I want to tell others they mean something to me. I want to hug my kids and my husband and tell them how much I love them. I want to make an effort to live in the moment with my family and lead with love in all parts of my life. I want to thank my kids’ teachers for all that they do each and every day. I realize they have a super hard job every single school day and now they have to add the worry of an active shooter situation to their list. I am also going to talk to my son who is in middle school about situational awareness at school. I want him be aware of exits and things in the classroom that could either be used as a barricade over doors or in some cases, a weapon.
I don’t like this reality – but it is our reality. I hate it actually but I am not going to allow my anger about the continued shootings to fuel negativity toward others. I am going to do what I can to make a difference in my little world in a positive way. No matter what others say I am also going to pray. I already feel helpless that I cannot do anything for Florida from Texas but I watched the videos and interviews and the heartbreak and the tears came. I cannot imagine what the parents, students and teachers are going through right now. I will pray for our country. I will pray for Parkland, Florida and I will pray for true change in our society and our country. I will pray for everyone involved and affected by this tragedy, and yes I will even pray for Nikolas Cruz.
The Worldly Condition 