Finally. I feel a glimmer of hope in my weary Mama heart. Could this brave, articulate, passionate, focused and incredibly heartbroken and traumatized group of teens from Florida and beyond finally elicit change? With the 24/7 screens that are around us all of the time now, I tearfully watched these students run out of their school on Valentine’s Day, then cry, then attend funerals, then board buses to meet with legislators and then speak so eloquently about the changes they are rightfully demanding.
I was struck. My Mama heart was struck. Especially since I am currently the Mama of one teenager and one college student. My heart is especially tuned into this generation right now.
I am stopped in my tracks to hear their words. My heart hurts. And I realize something. For the first time ever, when it comes to this issue…I finally feel a glimmer of hope in my weary Mama heart. Could this newfound hope be a real thing? It finally feels different. Finally. Oh please let this glimmer of hope be real. Real change.
I am sick and I am tired of feeling this way every morning when I see my daughter off to high school and wish my son well with his college classes…
I am even more tired of feeling hopeless and helpless. I don’t want to get political. I just want my kids to be safe and I don’t think that is wrong to ask. In fact, as parents we should demand this. And only change will work to keep our kids safer. Could these brave high school students appearing on our screens finally be the beginning of the agent of change? I pray. I cross my fingers. I place my hand on my heart and wipe tears away from my eyes as I listen to their articulate, thought out, well researched pleas. I am in awe of their bravery. Their passion. Their smarts…
…and their broken, but ALSO strong and resilient hearts.
And with that, I take a stand to stand behind them. These kids, who are our future. And with many of them about to turn 18, the future has arrived.
Something must change. Could it be that these kids, these school shooting survivors, these young adults, these future voters…these future parents…are the agent of change that is finally giving this manic managed mom a glimmer of hope?
My heart feels cautious as nothing has changed after Sandy Hook and so many other senseless tragedies. But my heart also feels hopeful. I hope that glimmer of hope that I am feeling really becomes real change that make our classrooms safer.
