I’m Just Going to Say It…

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In light of the last week’s events of yet another horrific school shooting, I have been afraid of making any kind of statements that could be translated as politically correct or not. But as a woman who is enrolling her oldest in the public school environment this year, I now feel the fear that so many other parents before me have felt.

The question of “What if this was my child’s school?”

How do I prepare my innocent four-year-old daughter for something as traumatic as this? It’s not something I’m equipped to do. But I must.

There are no words to express the sorrow to those who have lost a loved one to these horrible circumstances. What can anyone say? “Thoughts and prayers” are words people say when something bad happens. Warm hugs, flowers, cards … kind gestures, but meaningless to a mother who has to bury their baby. It is an inconsolable sadness. Honestly, I can’t fathom it.

The question that keeps going through my mind is – SO WHAT DO I DO? What can I do to prevent this from happening?

My mind races with insults and tweets made from “friends” on social media. Gun Control, Trump, Politicians, NRA, Mental Health, Golden Rule … are just a few of the words that come to mind. All just words. NO ACTION.

So I am just going to say it … the truth is no one knows what to do. Everyone thinks they have the answer, but no one does. Maybe that’s why everyone gets in these heated debates that break up friendships and cause the division that our country has been experiencing for the last several years.

As a parent, I plan to raise my children the best way I can and watch for signs that my kids may be struggling – in whatever capacity that children can. I want to love them enough for them to love others and instill in them kindness and respect for others. I want to limit their young eyes to violent acts on television and tablets. I want to TEACH them how to handle intense situations that may seem surreal at the moment.

This post isn’t the forum to discuss what political side we are on or to protest laws. This post is from a mama bear of two who knows that every day that she has with her babies will count towards the change that we so desperately need as a society.

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Brandi
Brandi’ Starbuck is a recent transplant to the Columbia, SC area from Charlotte, NC where she met her husband, Bryan, and where they welcomed their first baby girl, Mackenzie. Now living in Blythewood, SC with a spirited, fun-loving 2-year-old (who looks exactly like her daddy, but acts just like mama) and expecting their second baby (a boy!) at the first of April, they are thrilled to call the Midlands home! Brandi’ juggles working full-time, outside the home, as a property manager of an apartment community in Northeast Columbia, keeping Mackenzie entertained, and occasionally enjoying a date night with her handsome hubby! Lover of shoes, social media resale shops, and all Pinterest recipe boards, she is excited (and terrified) to have two young children and can’t wait to share her journey with others in her writing. Along with their three small dogs that were their first “babies,” they are one small addition away from completing their family! You can expect to see the Starbuck family strolling along the Villages at Sandhill on the weekends, with a cliché and loved cup of Starbucks coffee in their hands, wearing matching tees purchased from a mom-owned Instagram shop.

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