Monday, April 15, 2013

M is for Madness


    It is Monday, April 15, 2013.  Here in my neck of the woods there was a threat made to the local schools.  Supposedly someone wrote on a bathroom wall at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles that on this day 20 children would be killed at one of the schools.  It didn’t say which one.  It could have been anyone of them in the county I live in or the next.  The police and school administrators were put on high alert and the media got a hold of it and in my opinion caused mass hysteria.  To my knowledge, no one was killed today in any of the schools.


     I got my kids up this morning as I always do and helped them get ready for school.  I packed their lunches.  When it was time to head out to the bus stop and say goodbye, I found I couldn’t do it.  Tears filled my daughter’s eyes.  She was terrified to go to school.  I couldn’t let her or my son go.  I couldn’t say goodbye to them not knowing whether they would return safely to me.  That is a horrible feeling.  Perhaps one of the most horrible feelings I have ever felt.  I called my daughter’s school and spoke to the principal.  He assured me that that would have a police officer there….one.  He assured me that the kids would be under lockdown and would not be allowed to go out to recess.


      I found myself asking “Can you assure me that my child will come home to me safe and nothing terrible will happen?”  There was silence on the phone.  I answered my own question.  Of course you can’t.  No one could answer that.  I asked then “Do you believe one police man can keep 800 kids plus staff safe?”  Again, my question was met with silence.  He had no answers for me.  In the end it was my call.  I made the executive decision that an education could wait another day.  It was more important to keep my kids safe and my sanity intact.  They are my world.

        I wonder tonight what kind of world we live in with people bombing the Boston Marathon and threatening kids in schools.  How awful is it that people have to be scared to send their kids to school or that kids are scared to go?  How awful is it that a marathon can’t be run and the athlete’s accomplishments celebrated without some nut bombing and killing people?  People say we can’t live in fear.  Still with the madness that we hear about on a daily basis on the news and the madness that happens in our own neighborhoods, I think it is better to be safe than sorry.








28 comments:

  1. I'm glad your kids and all of the others are safe. I'm sure you are not the only one who kept your kids home. In fact, I bet not much learning took place in an environment of fear. Glad the day has come and gone, but I am sick about the news out of Boston.

    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com

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    1. Joyce, fact is over half of the school districts kids stayed home. Other school district's in the area also showed significant absenteeism. My cousin's son ran in the Boston Marathon and had just left minutes before the bombs went off. Thankfully they are all safe. I don't regret keeping the kids home. It was good for my sanity. Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comments. ♥

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  2. How awful to have the Boston Marathon bombs happen on the same day as your children's school district was threatened. shudder.

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    1. Claire, it was one of the few times my kids have been afraid to go to school. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  3. It was truly a bad day. I hope all is better tomorrow. According to the Italian news, there was also an eight year-old among the dead today in Boston.

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    1. Mary, I hugged my kids a little tighter sending them off to school today. Just awful what happened in Boston. Supposedly the 8 year old was running in memory of the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy and became a statistic herself. So sad. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  4. You did the right thing in following your instincts.

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    1. Tayla, If nothing else I had the peace of mind I certainly would not have had sending them off to school yesterday. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  5. So glad you kept your kids off school. Let's hope nothing else happens. It's senseless. I don't understand it.

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    1. Sally, I will just be glad when the school year is over and the kids are home for summer break. I try not to worry and put them in G0d's capable hands but there is still that nagging fear deep down. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  6. Days like these are so trying on our hearts and sensibilities. We can't live in fear yet we need to trust our instincts. And sometimes we just need to huddle together, feel safe and draw on our love for one another. Heartfelt post Kathy - thank you for sharing.

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    1. Amy, yesterday I needed to huddle together and feel safe. I felt better about sending them off today but will feel even better when the school year is over. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  7. What a rough, tragic day. My sister's school had a bomb threat on the bathroom wall yesterday. 5 minutes later bombs went off at the boston marathon. Senseless. I do not get it. Praying for all involved.

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    1. Megan, how awful! I hope nothing transpires at your sister's school. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  8. I'm so sorry that your children had to be afraid of that. School is supposed to be a sanctuary. But, for that matter, a person running a marathon shouldn't feel endangered either. Nor should any of us. These are crazy times, but I still always look to that Mr. Rogers quote about finding the helpers. There are so many.

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    1. Katie, I have always tried to look at it that if it is my time to go so be it. I can't be like that when it comes to my kids or my husband. What kind of attention seeking sick bastard threatens little kids or bombs public places? It is just beyond awful. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  9. WTF is wrong with people these days? My niece's high school was evacuated for a bomb threat yesterday, too!

    Glad everyone there is OK!

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    1. Lisa, I don't know. The world has went crazy and the loony attention seekers are trying to take over. Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comments.

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  10. I am so sorry you and the kids had to go through this...It is indeed a mad world where your scared to send kids to school or go run in a marathon. It sickens me how dangerous this world has become~and then you have people angry that they want background checks done to keep us all safe. Craziness...I would have done exactly what you did, keeping the kids home from school. I was so upset last night watching the news and seeing what happened at the Boston Marathon. It just brought back all the pain and fear of 911. Great post Kathy and so glad to know everyone over there is ok.

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    1. Linda, I am with you. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  11. The world is such a scary place now. I would have done the same thing you did...

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    1. Dana, a lot of others felt the same way. Over half the kids in the whole school district stayed home that day. I am glad I made that choice. I didn't have to worry. Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comments! ♥

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  12. I'm with you, and Dana. There is a peculiar craziness that seems to be sweeping everywhere.

    Blessings and Bear hugs!
    Bears Noting

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    1. Rob-bear, the worse thing is that the media feeds on tragedies like this and makes them a million times worse simply be rehashing and rehashing it over and over. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  13. I'm sorry that you and your children had to endure all that stress. I think it's important to go with your intuition, and you did that.

    I am shocked and saddened about what happened in Boston. My thoughts go out to those who have been affected by this tragedy.

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    1. Cynthia, it seems that threats to the school and the world around us are becoming more frequent. The tragedies...the bombs, the shootings, the loss of life from senseless acts are more frequent. It is shocking and sad. Thank you for stopping by to read and for your kind comments. ♥

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  14. This is a tough decision to make. God bless you and your children with peace and understanding.

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    1. Betty, thank you for stopping by and for your kind comments! ♥

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