I couldn't walk out, but I can speak up.

If I didn't have a child just arriving home from surgery this morning, I would've brought a poster to my girls' school and participated in a walkout to show respect for the dozens of children/teens that have lost their lives due to gun violence at school. I am not about to engage in a political debate on this blog, but let me tell you something, as a mother of 5 young kids attending public school, there isn't a day I drop them off that I don't worry I might not see them again. 

Gun violence in schools is one of the scariest scenes imaginable. How can small children and teenagers be expected to know how to react if something so serious actually does occur? I know my children--Mya would freeze out of fear, and Genevieve would try to be the hero by shielding other kids. Both could potentially be targeted. It is awful. 

I think about the parents in these most recent (over the past 5 years) shootings, and I think about the way they probably waved goodbye to their kids as they hopped out of the car or jumped on the bus, only to never see them alive again. Honestly, it makes my knees weak. I have tried to make our mornings sort of a peaceful chaos so that if something horrible ever happens to my kids when they're not with me, at least I can feel some solace knowing I loved them to the very last minute. 

Please help stop gun violence in schools. Please remember these kids need us to be their advocates. Their voices are too small to be heard, but ours are not.