I haven’t written one word about the shootings in Texas and Ohio this past week. Every time I thought about writing something on social media as I read touching missives from friends online, I froze. I don’t know what else there is to say.
We live in a world where anything can happen at any time. While this has always been the case, we are now face-to-face with this painful truth in a heartbreaking way. It’s almost impossible to process. And even more frightening, it's impossible to think about our children out there in a world where they could get killed shopping at Walmart.
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So, what’s the answer? Stay in inside? Don’t let our children leave our sight? These are obviously unrealistic and paranoid solutions. But, without any answers, we are left feeling helpless in light of these tragedies and paralyzed by our inability to protect our families.
I’ve written about talking to young children about mass shootings, but what do you say to almost-adults?
“We know mom,” my girls groan when I give them the “Run, hide, fight,” directive from active shooter training. But I say it again and again. It’s all I have.
It’s information I hope they never have to use. In my heart, I’m not sure anything I could tell them would truly protect them in a situation like this. In my opinion, the people who live are simply lucky. No one in a mass shooting situation is at fault for their own deaths—they were just living their lives when someone decided he had the right to attack strangers in a public place.
I wish I could tell you I’m going to wrap this blog up with a bow, to impart some wisdom that will help us process these continual tragedies and questions, but I don’t have a bow.
I just have a hole in my heart for the people in Texas and Ohio who died and for their families and friends. I especially grieve for the parents who loved and supported their children, nudged them from the nest, only to have them die in a senseless act of violence.
Love one another. Life is short an unpredictable.
Amanda Lamb is the mom of two, a reporter for WRAL-TV and the author of several books including some on motherhood. Find her here on Mondays.