“My school fell
down.”
That’s what a kindergartner from Moore, Oklahoma said when
asked about a cut on her leg. She of course, is one of the lucky ones.
I’ve wanted to write a fun, upbeat post for a few months
now. My last few have been serious, and
I decided it was time to stop the drama. After all, I’m a kids’ writer and
teacher. I see adorable, goofy, and funny things every day! Yesterday, I
decided I would finally write that fun
piece, but a monster whipping across Oklahoma changed that. It wasn’t long ago
that we all became Bostonians. And before that, we were all parents of Sandy
Hook Elementary kids. But today we are Oklahomans. Yes, even we University of
Texas fans, some who have had more than a few choice words about that University
to our north, are Sooners. Why? Because we are human, and we know it could have
been us. And as we put ourselves in the shoes of those affected, our hearts
break for them. As a parent and grandparent, I can’t imagine how horribly scary
it would be to wonder if your child is dead or alive. And of course, we grieve
with those who learned the unspeakable truth as to the whereabouts of their
loved ones.
Before I heard about the tornadoes, I sarcastically told a
friend that I needed to check out Facebook to see if there was anything earthshattering
going on. After all, how do you know what to blog about if you don’t check out
Facebook? Of course, I was joking and figured all I’d see were vacation and
graduation pictures, a bit of political ranting, and the requisite
inspirational posts. But these were not the images that greeted me. Never has the word “earthshattering” been so
unknowingly accurate. Scoff at social media if you’d like, but through it I
found out where I could donate, what areas were hit, and information that
helped me feel connected.
The recent anguish of Newtown and Boston was brought on by
humans. The devastating tornadoes of Oklahoma were not. However, the response
to these tragedies is amazingly similar. Anne Frank said, “In spite of
everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” I’m certain
that if I were in her situation I would not have had the faith in mankind that
she did, but watching how we, as a country, come together in the face of
tragedy, I am heartened.
This morning I scribbled down words trying to answer the
question of why people have to wait for disasters to reach out to each other.
It was an emotional plea for understanding, and to be honest, it had more than
a little anger in it. However, I’ve decided to let that go right now. At this point, I want to do what Fred Rogers
used to tell the children; “Look for the helpers.” More than looking for the helpers, I want to
be one. We can all say we feel bad, but feeling bad isn’t enough. Helping was
not always easy, but now, technology has given us simple tools to aid in doing
the right thing. Social media, for all its foibles helps us walk the walk and
not just talk the talk. If you too want to do something to help in the recovery
effort, take a look at Facebook. You’ll find a lot of information on how you
can help. It really is worth scrolling through a few pictures of margaritas and
burritos.
.
