Our school ended last week. Friday was our last day and the calm of the hullabaloo of the last week was just beginning to settle in...until the storms.
It seems this
year my posts have been more about the weather than anything else. So much so
that I have often refrained from posting because I felt like a broken record,
cold, snow, wind, and fire have been the topic of many of my slices and posts.
But yesterday’s tragedy is too massive and close to home for me not to write
about.
As I sat here
yesterday and watched the news report on the kids and teachers buried in their
schools I wept. It is so close to home, mere miles down the road. It brought
back the tears and emotions of earlier this school year and the Sandyhook
tragedy. I felt so helpless and yet ashamedly so grateful that my kiddos were
safe in their homes.
I know those
teachers did everything they could to help and protect their students...their
kids. It’s just so inconceivable that there are schools in this state without
storm shelters, without a safe room. It should be a law. It should be mandatory
for every school. Maybe now it will.
My hubby is
the storm worrier. I tell him he always worries so much that I don’t need to.
There have been numerous days (and middle of the nights) that he has packed us
up and made us head to the storm shelter, me grumbling all the way. I will not
grumble again. I will gladly go and spend the night in the basement of our
school if it means one of my kids can be safe.
The pouring
out of kindness and generosity of this state never ceases to amaze me. As I sat
here feeling lost and helpless today, my donations made, but unable to do more
I scanned Facebook and read the people reaching out, giving what they can,
doing what they can, again the emotions flood me.
One that
stands out is a grade school here in our town. Our school was out last Friday,
but Ponca City the closest district to us is still in. One grade school was
scheduled to go to the Capitol building in Oklahoma City today for a field
trip. It is a Pre K-5th grade school. The school/students decided to
forego their trip and spend the 1400$ they had for the trip on donations for
the tornado victims. Students and teachers alike took a bus to Wal-Mart and
loaded it up with items for the town of Moore. I have friends that teach at
Roosevelt, I have friends with kids that go to school there. I am so proud of
this school, so touched by the heart of the teachers and children alike.
Our television
has been infiltrated with tornado coverage. My heart has been permeated with
emotion for the people it has affected. Our lives have been bathed with
heartache but our spirit will forever be embedded with the generosity it has generated
through it all. We will survive yet one more tragedy in Oklahoma. We are
Oklahoma strong.
You can help the Moore schools through Donors Choose http://www.donorschoose.org/okschools
















