04/18/2025
The three biggest pieces of my heart live on college campuses. I know it's the same for many of you.
There is so much to worry about: Are they making friends? Do they eat the right foods? Are they getting enough sleep? Do they know how much they are loved? Why didn't they return my text?
But what stays constantly at the edge of my mind, what fills my darkest thoughts, and what keeps me up at night is that I cannot keep them safe.
There was an active shooter on the campus of Florida State University today. At this moment, two people have died and five are injured. It could have been so much worse.
At one of my daughter's campuses, law enforcement arrested someone for making IEDs, improvised explosive devices used for non-military purposes.
My nerves are shot and my heart is broken for the families impacted by this senseless tragedy. My gratitude for law enforcement and first responders is unending.
In the midst of all these feelings, what I am not experiencing is shock. It is no longer if a mass shooting will occur, but when and where.
There are no safe places anymore—not our schools or churches, not concerts or malls, not airplanes or subways. Sometimes, monsters even lurk within the confines of our homes. Today is every parent's worst nightmare.
And while our politicians seek "justice", whatever that looks like when something like this happens, they do not seek solutions to prevent it from happening again. Or again. Or again.
Instead, I remind my children what they should do if they encounter gunfire. We talk about when they should run, when they should hide, and when they should remain silent. I tell them that when they receive an alert about a dangerous situation, it's their job to stay away so authorities can do their jobs. I let them know that while I will be frantic knowing that something is going on at their campus, I will never be upset if they are taking steps to stay safe. I say "Look for the helpers, because they are always there."
I tell them that they are so loved.
I try to prepare them for this world and pray they will never need to use the information.
I hope they remember my tips to guide them to safety. And I will encourage them to be kind to everyone they meet, because you never know the heartache they are carrying.
If only we could clearly see and know how to help those among us who are most damaged inside before they unleash their pain on others.
I was on two different group texts today where parents were sharing if their kids were safe at FSU. "Jack was in the library but they got him out. My daughter is safe and sheltering in a building."
Each message of safety made me sigh out loud while simultaneously wanting to scream at the absurdity of our current world.
There are no safe spaces anymore, and it is the reality we live in, so we can only do our part to make this world a better place.
Call your kids, hug them if you can, and then do something ― anything ― good today. Do it for someone you don’t know. Do it for someone you dislike. Do it for someone because maybe, just maybe, it will stop them from hurting someone else. Because there are no more safe places, but we’re all still in this life together.
Love hard.
*I am a Florida Gator, but my heart is with FSU today.
