This Little Light of Mine, I’m Gonna Let it Shine
Once again, I interrupt my normally scheduled blogs about quilts and quilting to talk about a few issues that are of interest to my immediate family, our community and (hopefully) those of you who have high school-aged child.
First, our hearts and prayers are filled with compassion for those people affected by the bombs in Boston. Unthinkable acts are just that – unthinkable. Sometimes, unless you’ve been in that situation, you cannot fathom the carnage, the pain and the losses of those who were directly affected by such an act of cowardice. And yes, bombs are a coward’s way to kill people. And, let’s face it. Ten years after we memorialized those who lost their lives in the Twin Towers, our country has already relaxed many of the rules that were brought about by those buildings coming down – mostly because of complaints by the citizens that those rules were an inconvenience!
In our little community, we have had a couple of bomb threats at the school in the last four days. One last Friday and another yesterday (Monday) morning. The one on Friday was written on a bathroom wall and was taken very seriously – the one yesterday was much more juvenile and definitely a copycat; and when the child was found who wrote the threat, they said they just wanted a day off of school. In both instances, the entire school was evacuated and the students taken care of as best as they could be by the administration and teachers. Doesn’t mean their master disaster plan was flawless as there is definitely room for improvement – but, it was a good move in the right direction.
I am giving away my age, but I remember when we were in elementary school and we had to have drills in the areas of bombs, fires and tornadoes, in the midwest. Remember those, anyone? I know my kids have had fire drills but the other drills have gone by the wayside. Unfortunately, in this day and age, it’s time to re-institute those drills because when and if the actual events occur – our children will be much better prepared and perhaps not as upset and anxious. It’s also a time for our kids to come together – solidarity in numbers. I have no doubt the culprits would be found that much quicker if you plant a teenage girl to roam around the cliques to get information! Oh yeah, I may have solved the problem right there with that sentence! Those teenage girls LIVE for drama!!!
Right now, despite both of these awful instances of cowardice and the loss of life – there is still a light that is shining on our oldest daughter. She received a letter yesterday, saying she was awarded a $1000 scholarship from the National MS Society! I remember the heartbreak I felt when I edited the essay she had to submit with her scholarship application – it was about how MS had affected her life. None of the content was new to me as we had talked many times about my MS and the challenges we (as a family) faced now and in the years to come – but, it was heartbreaking to see all of those words that screamed from the computer of her emotional pain brought about by my physical pain. And as the firstborn, she shoulders a lot of the family’s pain and strife on her heavy shoulders – whether it’s warrented or not, whether we ask her to or not. My pain is her pain and there’s not a darned thing I can do about it!
With so many charities and family’s in need these days, I respectfully ask that you remember the National MS Society in your prayers and in your financial gifts. Not just for their research to try to combat this disease, but for the kids whose lives are affected by MS every single day, for themselves or a parent or a relative. My kids deserve a better path than mine – and I am so very thankful the National MS Society is helping to lay those seeds of faith in our daughter’s continued education.
My pain has helped her get a foot in the door to my daughter’s gain – which means this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!
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