We need to be the generation that ends violence

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I’ve been there.  I’ve been to the grocery store.  I’ve been to church.  I’ve been to concerts and football games.  I’ve been to the mall and movie theaters and bowling alleys.  I’ve been to bars and nightclubs.  I’ve been to the airport, to the bank, and on a Military base.  I’ve been to work and in schools.  

So, I’ve been there.  I have been to nearly every location where there’s been a mass shooting in the United States in recent years.  I  just haven’t exactly been there yet… by some grace of God, thankfully I haven’t been in those same locations during a shooting.   

However, with the likelihood of shootings happening more and more often, I’m not holding my breath either.  I am well aware that it could happen at any time, in any place, to anyone.  I don’t want to live my life in fear, but I also need to be aware and have a plan of action, not only for myself but for my children.  All 70 of my children. 

You see, I work in an elementary school every day.  So, if the thought of mass shootings happening isn’t scary enough, I have the added worry that it could happen at my school.  Where I teach dozens of young students.  Where I would not only have to save myself, but also children that would be even more frightened than me at that moment.  It is beyond terrifying to even consider for a second.  Especially with the one-year anniversary of Marjory Stoneman Douglas coming up this February 14th.  

The school I work in (and that my daughter attends) is a mere 12 miles from the high school where 17 people were killed and another 17 were injured that sad Valentine’s Day.  Some of my previous students go there.  I currently teach students whose siblings attend MSD, or whose neighbors, cousins, etc. are there.  I also have friends whose children go to school at Douglas.  Our entire community was rocked to its core that day.  

But sadly, even with the high schoolers themselves refusing to let this get swept under the rug as ‘just another school shooting’, like so many other mass shootings, not enough is being done.  I am a teacher, and I don’t feel entirely safe (even though my school does absolutely everything it can to keep everyone out of harms way).  I am a parent, and I don’t feel 100% comfortable that my children won’t be among the millions who have had a shooting happen on their campus.  What’s worse is that it’s nearly impossible to feel completely safe anywhere these days.  And, unfortunately, I feel like it’s not going to get better anytime soon.  Not until something in our world changes. 

It’s Going to Take a Village

We need to be the generation that ends violence.  We must do something to stop these attacks from occurring.   If you see something, say something, and now let’s DO something.  That is the best way to honor the victims whose lives were taken far too soon- by doing something to prevent it in the future.  Our children deserve better than to grow up in a world where they hear about different mass shootings nearly every week.  Our country is better than that.  

We all need to learn the warning signs of someone in trouble so that we can prevent tragedies from happening in the first place.  More often than not, after an incident, people come forward and say things like, “We knew he/she would do this one day”, or “There were problems from the time they were young”.  So, why in the world isn’t more being done to monitor, help, or give resources to those that seem to be on the verge of doing something dangerous?  There are countless ways to address this issue, because it’s such a multifaceted problem.  We need more people to be willing to step up, get involved, make some changes, and do what is right.  Right for our country, and right for our children.  

We don’t know when our last day will be.  Each of us could have been there…just not yet.  So, take the trip you’ve always wanted to go on, venture a little out of your comfort zone, meet that friend for a drink, or try something new and exciting that might even scare you a little.  Really try not to stress about the small stuff (which is easier said than done, I know!).  Always be kinder than necessary.  Never forget to hug and kiss your family, and let them know how much they mean to you.  We can’t predict when or if it will be our time to go, but we can treat everyone we meet with love and respect, and maybe, just maybe that will make a difference in our world.   

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Nichelle Tran
Nichelle grew up in Michigan, Connecticut, and Hawaii, but has called Florida her home since 1993. She met her husband, Minh, while graduating from Lynn University in Boca Raton, where he owns his own Marble & Tile installation company. They have two daughters that are the light of their lives and also keep them on their toes, Tristynn (age 10), and Harleigh (age 7). Nichelle teaches 5th grade Language Arts, which goes right along with her passion for Reading. When she’s not caught up in a great book, she enjoys going out on her boat with family and friends, taking self-defense classes, doing arts & crafts (Yay, Pinterest!), and taking naps. Nichelle has written 4 fictional books for (and about) her daughters, through a program for her elementary students, and is very excited to be writing for Palm Beach Mom Collective. She works hard to find the balance between work and home life and wants other moms to know that they aren’t alone in trying to create that sense of balance in their lives.

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