"ALERT:
UMaine police have received a bomb threat."
UMaine police have received a bomb threat."
NOT something a parent wants to read upon logging into the website of the school their child attends. That's what I found this morning as I logged in to check the academic calendar. No more than 30 seconds after reading the bulletin, I received a call from the head teacher at Lexi's school explaining the situation. Although the threat was deemed not to be credible, faculty, students and staff were given the option of attending classes and being on campus. I packed up Cate and immediately went to get Lexi.
I thought of posting about the V Tech tragedy this week - but I wasn't sure how to put it into words. It was just a few days prior to the horrific events that happened Monday, that I found myself driving into campus with Lexi wondering what I would do if an emergency occurred on campus. I hadn't anticipated that something so horrible would happen days later.
How can you get your hands around something so hideous? How do you explain to a four year old why your picking her up early, and why most of her classmates are leaving too? How do you explain to them that there are people out there wanting to hurt others? How do I explain what those dogs are doing sniffing from car to car and building to building as I drive through campus?
Just over the weekend, I had to have another talk with Lexi about strangers. Lexi is UBBER friendly and social. She loves people. She loves making people feel good and happy. And, as she 'worked the crowd' in Marshall's as I shopped Saturday, I had to remind her about strangers and that not all people are as nice as she is. On the way home, Lexi told me that she was 'sad ... because she can't be nice to people'. Never mind that there are more people who would rather hurt others, she is worried about NOT being able to make people feel better. What is wrong with this world?
Over the past week, I've been forced to look outside my own comfort zone too. The V-Tech tragedy of course makes you wonder about your own mortality and those around you. I've also had conversations with my niece who is expecting a baby this August regarding guardianship and life insurance and trusts etc for or kids. I've been gripped by a story of someone whom I've never met and her diagnosis of a brain tumor. The potential of death was also met in the novel I was reading over the weekend. It seemed like wherever I turned, I was reminded how as much as we like to think we're in control, we're not. I was also reminded that one could go crazy from fretting and worrying about unseen circumstances. Even I got a little crazed as I let my imagination get the best of me.
So - how do I not let my imagination and own fears grip me to a point of being frantic as I drive for 30 minutes to pick up Lexi - where a bomb threat has been made - credible or not? Because I have a Savior who reminds me that I am His and He is mine. That I can lean on something other than my own understanding. That even though I am scared out of my whits of what MIGHT happen, He has me in the palm of His hands, and Lexi in the palm of His hands and will never let us go.
Faith is an amazing thing. It's easy to say it, it's another thing to believe it. In situations like these of the past few days, one is reminded of that. For me, I feel guilty, that it takes moments like these for me to slow down and think about the simple facts that I know so well.
I thought of posting about the V Tech tragedy this week - but I wasn't sure how to put it into words. It was just a few days prior to the horrific events that happened Monday, that I found myself driving into campus with Lexi wondering what I would do if an emergency occurred on campus. I hadn't anticipated that something so horrible would happen days later.
How can you get your hands around something so hideous? How do you explain to a four year old why your picking her up early, and why most of her classmates are leaving too? How do you explain to them that there are people out there wanting to hurt others? How do I explain what those dogs are doing sniffing from car to car and building to building as I drive through campus?
Just over the weekend, I had to have another talk with Lexi about strangers. Lexi is UBBER friendly and social. She loves people. She loves making people feel good and happy. And, as she 'worked the crowd' in Marshall's as I shopped Saturday, I had to remind her about strangers and that not all people are as nice as she is. On the way home, Lexi told me that she was 'sad ... because she can't be nice to people'. Never mind that there are more people who would rather hurt others, she is worried about NOT being able to make people feel better. What is wrong with this world?
Over the past week, I've been forced to look outside my own comfort zone too. The V-Tech tragedy of course makes you wonder about your own mortality and those around you. I've also had conversations with my niece who is expecting a baby this August regarding guardianship and life insurance and trusts etc for or kids. I've been gripped by a story of someone whom I've never met and her diagnosis of a brain tumor. The potential of death was also met in the novel I was reading over the weekend. It seemed like wherever I turned, I was reminded how as much as we like to think we're in control, we're not. I was also reminded that one could go crazy from fretting and worrying about unseen circumstances. Even I got a little crazed as I let my imagination get the best of me.
So - how do I not let my imagination and own fears grip me to a point of being frantic as I drive for 30 minutes to pick up Lexi - where a bomb threat has been made - credible or not? Because I have a Savior who reminds me that I am His and He is mine. That I can lean on something other than my own understanding. That even though I am scared out of my whits of what MIGHT happen, He has me in the palm of His hands, and Lexi in the palm of His hands and will never let us go.
Faith is an amazing thing. It's easy to say it, it's another thing to believe it. In situations like these of the past few days, one is reminded of that. For me, I feel guilty, that it takes moments like these for me to slow down and think about the simple facts that I know so well.
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