What the what?!

 I live in the middle of Kansas. And nothing much happens here. Except for yesterday when all my kids were in the mall. There was a shooting! I have one kiddo and one grandkiddo (the only grand I have) working in the mall. But the mom of the grand-kid working the mall was also there with two of her bonus children. In addition, my kiddo's friend was in the mall.... a friend from another town that used to be a roommate to my child~ she calls me Mom. I know, there were tons of other people in the mall who have families that this tragedy happened to as well. But this is my story. And I wasn't there. But getting the text from daughter number one saying she was safe and my other child was safe with her, at first puzzled me because I didn't know of the shooting yet. But I quickly became informed. And panicked. You know, the ole mom-heart doesn't slow down because the message says they are safe. It runs the whole gamut of what-if's and ends somewhere in the vicinity of "there will be fall-out from this and how will this affect my kids ability to function and move forward in the future.... !?"

And I am sad. Why is life like this? There is a mother of a 14 year old boy out there today trying to function knowing her son will soon be in the ground. And in the midst of questions and accusations, and more questions, she will have to try to grieve her loss. There are more mothers of teens out there who lost their children to the system, and there will lawyers arguing that children should be tried as adults and what mother wants that? 

All of this brings me back to all the memes, quotes, and clichés that surround and permeate the trauma-sensitive world that is education right now.  Mostly this one stands out to me: You cannot punish the trauma out of someone. 

Our country/society seems to think that more and more punishment will someday change our world for the better. I believe that all it does is make more incarcerated humans. And damage more kids, and pertetuate the laws of the trauma that come from a soul so disengaged in humanity that the life of another person is not seen as valuable. 

Today I am sad.

I leave you with a sunset to represent the setting of the sun on the lives of these teenagers. But also on the sun setting on the tragedy of the day, knowing the each day is a new day and the sun will rise again for my children, my grandson, and all the others who were in Towne East Mall yesterday. 

Pardon the washing machine in the middle of my gorgeous photo. It had the audacity to up and quit on us! 

I am participating the Slice of Life Story Challenge, blogging every day in the month of March. Click the slice to see more slices!