I dropped my son off in front of his high school this morning. Just the same as I do every morning. Just the same as many parents dropped off their children in front of Parkland High School yesterday morning.
Just the same.
Just the same.
Just the same.
We say that being resilient means the ability to bounce back. I don’t think that is quite right anymore. Bouncing back means to return to the place we’ve already been. We can’t do that anymore because back in the same place will continue to lead us down the same exact path.
Being resilient means the ability to bounce forward.
What is our resilient move forward after yet another mass school shooting? What do we do when our breath is once again knocked out of us? How do we move past the anxiety of living in the dangerous world where the Cult of the Gun reigns supreme? Author Glennon Doyle Melton puts it in terms of “first the pain, then the rising.” This moment is our pain. It is not our first pain and I am devastated to say it will not be our last pain. The rising will be our collective moment when we not only say “enough,” but we say “this pain will become my power and here is what I am going to do.”
SO-Here is what I encourage you to do:
- Educate yourself. Know the gun laws in your state. Ask yourself if they are doing all they can to protect your children and your neighbors. Organizations like Everytown for Gun Safety can help us learn more so we can make the best decision for our families and communities.
- Take care of yourself. Emotions are HIGH and it is tempting to get sucked into a heated debate with those who stand on the opposite end of the spectrum from us. It gets ugly and it drains us. Save that energy for the work of learning more, electing better leaders, and engaging in a healthy way with those who can be civil. Brene Brown calls this having a “strong back, soft front.”
- Take action. Hope springs eternal when we water it with action. It requires us to make active decisions based on growth and not fear. Be specific of the change you want to see and then work towards it.
We don’t have to live this way.
We don’t have to die this way.
This DOESN’T have to be…
…just the same.
Renee Branson 