I am a Parent...

Friday morning... we are running late... I am fussing.. Teeth brushed *check*  Face washed *check* Lotion/Moisturized *check* Clothes on... shoes tied.. book bag packed and ready to go... *check..check and check** Rush out the door. No morning prayer we are late and rushing today. Speed thru lights. Down Alabama ave. right onto side street. No kids in the alley this morning no need to slow down... Cross over street...thru alley quick right... Late but we made it to school in time for breakfast... "out the truck ladies" "wait ma.. lip gloss" UGHH I didn't give them lip gloss... OK... Lip gloss *check*... Two morning kisses... Two "I love you's have a good day..be good listen and be respectful"... Two kids walking away safely into a school building... Monday Morning... Dragging my feet... We are late... No fuss this morning... Teeth r brushed... faces are washed.. Today is a little different...  I did not place the book bags by the door today. "We have time... you can look for them.." I did not iron uniforms today... I did not rush out the door.. nor fuss about traffic today. We were late this morning... but morning prayer was very important..."God I ask that you continue to protect my children when I am away..." "God thank you for the shoes food, and clothes... please keep up safe Lord..." they pray... We pull up... I am in the passenger seat today.. Mom I can't reach for a kiss... Jai jumps out.. no kiss from her either... ( I will fuss at them later.) Jai waits for her sister to come to the side of the truck... They walk in together as usual... I watch as they enter the door where their education is a priority.. Top priority.. Safety is now my concern.My Top concern. See a few weeks ago there was an incident ... A parent threatened my child. My thoughts are on my child.. my 9 year old baby.. who still cries when I fuss to much... She is my second in command in my house. She is my little helper. She keeps my little ones in line. She is the guide when I am not around. An adult threatned her safety and I was not there to protect her. Y? Well, because she was at school. The home away from home. The second safest place in the world to be. Right??? Apparently, I am wrong ... Apparently, the parents in Newtown, CT felt the same way when they left there children in the care of the local school district. It is not the school's fault. They were secure. They did what they could. Teacher's attempted to protect the students. 20 children... dead. Their parents will never hear a laugh... never see a smile... no more holidays... Now they will forever mourn. December will never be a joyous month for them. All because... He was mentally ill.. they say... His gun was legally registered they say... For me it is not about the school safety... the school was secure. Nor the gun... it was legally registered to his mother.. Guns DO NOT kill people. People with Guns Kill people. The day a gun fires itself and kills someone then we address gun laws. The issue here is the state of the mental health of our children. If a child has a problem, as a parent, do not ignore it. Address it. Take them to see doctors and specialists. Help them to help themselves. There are signs that should not be ignored I am sure. If a child threatens to kill a parent, him/herself, a friend... something is wrong. Seek help. Its not just for the benefit of the child but the benefit of others. Could this shooting had been avoided? Could the mall shooting had been avoided? Could Columbine been avoided? Could the sniper attack been avoided?? I cannot say... But what I can say is maybe if those shooters had gotten the help they needed so many lives would not have been lost... This is the time now to yes, review the safety of schools but also... review the mental health perspective and get those children some help before another mother has to bury another child because another child was angry...

<3 B.Nicole