This morning I received a call from my daughter’s school stating that there were threats on social media last night about a possible school shooting today. They are taking precautions and speaking with the local authorities. At that moment, I thought to myself, she is not going to school today. But then, I realized that this was to be expected after the recent shooting that took place in Florida.
As I go get in the car, where my daughter had currently been waiting, I give her her cell phone and tell her she will be taking it to school today. When she asked why, I told her that I received a call from her school and informed her of what was said. After hearing the short explanation, she tells me she doesn’t think she should be going to school today. I tell her not to worry as people tend to come out of the woodwork when things happen and this is just one of those times. I continue to tell her that they will find the person who made the threats by the end of the day. During the time I was telling her the above, I try and stay calm but in reality, I am worried out of my mind not really knowing the entire situation, nor feeling that I am doing the right thing.
Before she gets off the car at the bus stop, I tell her not worry, to call me if something happens and I will leave work to pick her up. I see her get on the bus completely worried while giving me the how-could-you look, as though I am sending her to the slaughter. My heart sinks from the look she gave me and it took all the strength I had to not get off the car to keep her from getting on that bus.
On the long commute to work, I hear on the radio the threats that were made last night on social media regarding two local high schools that were threatened. At that moment, I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that my daughter is not in either of those schools and her school is not a threat. I also realized that I finally have come to understand the decision I made last year when I took her out of the public school system and put her in a charter school. That was one of the best decisions I ever made for her.
I just heard on the news that earlier today they have arrested a student who made threats of one high school but they are still not sure if he is responsible for the threat on the other one. During all my worry, and in the back of my mind, I figured it would be student.
Even though the threats are still out there, there are more to come and there is nothing we can do about it. All we can do is take precautions and try and teach our children how to be alert and protect themselves. I am saddened to see how our society has evolved, and how our children have to live in such a time. A time of having this distraction while trying to learn and focus on their future.
Fever inside the Storm 
It is terrifying sending our kids out in the current climate. I have too many words and feelings about it all still so tangled up that I just no longer know what to say. The anger, the sadness, the fear. So much of it. And our kids are at the center of this nasty storm.