Although the local news is gradually moving on to other headlines, many families are still working through what happened Friday at the middle school.
Even so, there is much to be thankful for:
- Thankfully, the 15-year-old boy who was shot has made it through two major surgeries. Today, he was upgraded from critical to serious. Praise the Lord! Keep him and his family in prayer! His road to recovery will be a very long one.
- The shooting took place at the door to the cafeteria, where the entire student body was gathering to await the first bell. And only one student was physically harmed. Thank you Lord! It could have been so much worse.
- My boys are talking about the scary things they saw and heard, instead of keeping things bottled up inside. Which is good, EVEN if it gives ME nightmares in the process.
- They have spring break this week which gives families a little extra time to work up the courage to face school again.
- Soccer started last week. So we have a welcome distraction and a great outlet to run off some stress. I might just have to join them. (Wouldn’t they be surprised!)
- All in all, we are doing well. And I SO appreciate all the prayers going up from family and friends.
On a lighter note, my boys must not be as traumatized as their mama. Because they were pretty put-out with me for not letting them have an air soft war tonight. Call me a crazy mom. But the thought of them dressing up like the swat guys that had to walk them to the rest room Friday just doesn’t sit well with me.
I’m not sure when or even if it ever will again.
The tragedy makes me ultra sensitive to our culture’s casual take on violence as entertainment. I know air soft guns are toys. And video games are just that. Games. But just because our culture says it’s the “in” thing for teens to do, doesn’t make it right. Or edifying. Or even healthy. Exposure breeds callousness.
I’ve always been careful about what I let the boys be involved in, especially on the video game front. We don’t allow them to play or even watch the more violent games. And it has put them in a tough spot with some of their friends.
But I figure, if there is enough questionable material that it has to be rated T for Teen, or M for Mature, we simply don’t need to feed it to our brains. And I’ve been really, really proud of their holding to our rule, even when they are over at their friends’ houses. I know it isn’t easy.
To be honest, I’m not sure which is harder: Parenting teenagers, or being one.
If you have teenagers, or have already made it though this stage of parenting, I sure would appreciate any words of advice you can offer. Sometimes, I feel incredibly inadequate. And all I can do is pray that God will lead us through another day.
2 comments:
Glad you are all doing ok after that. I was surprised that I didn't see anything on the national news about it.
Our son was - and still is a video game player. We didn't let him play the violent games either.
My son is 32 and I wasn't crazy about the games he played on the computer but they were nothing like the ones today. I never wanted him to have play guns unless it was a Cowboys and Indian thing. He really wasn't into that.
I do believe that part of the reason for all the tragedies over the years, especially in the schools has come from movies, games and the news too! I have a friend who is going through the same thing with her boys, they are 9 and 11. She can't decide if they should play the war games. Playing war is a lot different today. I like the soldiers way of playing in Toy Story. Anyway I am glad your boys are doing okay. Also very happy that the boy who was shot is doing better. Thank God.
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