The World We Live In

Hope you enjoyed the MLK holiday...ours was a damp, cold, dreary day, but a day full of meaning nonetheless. Oddly enough, the district here in Boerne held classes...while the rest of San Antonio and surrounding areas had the day off. So, Animesh came home from work early to watch the boys, and I went to pick up Priya from school. It was nice to not have to drag the boys along, although they are relatively well-behaved when we sit in the long "pick-up" line at Priya's school.

After I picked her up, Priya and I conversed about her day. We drove to HEB for what I had hoped to be a quick grocery trip, but, alas, I was wrong. Between frequent potty trips (my princess has a small bladder) and the unbelievable crowds, our rendezvous took a little longer than expected. Naturally, there were more items in the grocery cart than there would have been had I been shopping alone, but that's what I get for bringing one of the little Indians along. I think I got off pretty easy with a few new toothbrushes and a teeny bopper magazine with H.S. Musical stars on the cover. I swiftly dodged the purchase of a giant Hannah Montana balloon.

It took us pulling into the driveway after our shopping spree for Priya to say, "Oh, Mom, I almost forgot to tell you! We practiced for our lock-up tomorrow." Lock-up, I ask? She goes on to tell me that this is when the entire class holes themselves into their tiny classroom bathroom (teacher included) in case a "bad guy" were to invade their school. They are instructed to be "very quiet and very still" so the bad guy won't know where they are. I asked Priya if she was scared, and she said, "Yeah, we were all kinda scared, but we were all really quiet." It MUST have been kinda scary if it quieted about eighteen 5 & 6-year-olds.

Holy cow. My kindergartener is rehearsing for a lock-up (if this is the correct term for it) at school.

I know where this is originating from...all of those dreadful school shootings I think are so far removed from my little bubble of the world. But it hit me that this is our reality these days, and my little Indians have now been immersed in that reality. It is so mind-boggling scary yet kind of reassuring that the school is preparing for an event of this nature.


Guess I'll hear more about the drill tomorrow...in fact, I'll insist upon it. For now, I must remind myself that the world we live in is not how it used to be. Gone are the days of riding our bikes in the 'hood from dawn until dusk. Gone are the days when our children were safe outside in their own driveway. Like it or not, times have changed. And, not necessarily for the better.

So, as I come to terms with the world we live in, all I can do is pray for the safety of my children for the rest of their lives...and protect them the best way I know how. Reality is sometimes a real eye-opening experience. I'm learning that as a mother every single day. And, my kids aren't even teenagers yet.

No doubt this parenting adventure is bound to get more interesting.