it is not enough

“Mommy, why are the flags down?”

This was the question my daughter asked as we drove past the local police station and noticed that they were at half-staff.

Swallowing tears, I told her that the United States is sad and grieving this week because someone took a gun into a school and killed children and teachers.

My heart has been broken this week. Emotions have run the gamut, from grief to anger to sadness over the mass school shooting in Uvalde, TX. I know all too well the excruciating sensation of having our community ripped open by gunfire. The uncertainty, the vulnerability, the pain, the loneliness, the rallying around each other… it all comes back in an instant.

This time, my emotions were overshadowed by a vast disbelief that something like this can happen over and over and over AGAIN because nothing has changed in the many years mass shootings have existed.

I lived on campus at Virginia Tech the day we had an active shooter situation, 15 years ago. Fifteen years. We locked down, tried to call our families through inundated cell phone lines, checked on all our friends, and prayed with all our hearts. Then, we found out classmates we knew had died. Their smiles, laughter, and zeal for life were forever taken from this world.

It is not enough to hold our babies tight and be thankful that it wasn’t us, this time.

It is not enough to teach our children what to do if they ever encounter an active shooter situation.

It is not enough to pray without taking action.

Please take a few minutes to contact your local representatives. We can make the change happen. If you need help finding contact information for yours, you can find it here:

United States House of Representatives
United States Senate

Make America a safe place for our children. The future really is depending on it.