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Below is a blog post that I wrote last year and again I feel it needs to be shared again today 
of all days. It was originally posted on my blog www.texasmusings.blog.com December 22, 2012.


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Healing!

It has been a week and a day since the tragic shooting that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary.  I am a Curriculum Specialist for a small elementary campus in a large Central Texas School District.  This past week we have had meetings daily to discuss changes needed to make our campus more secure in the light of what happened in Newtown.  There are district required safety procedures in place, monthly crisis drills, not just fire and tornado, but drills related to how to respond, react, and protect should something of a building threat happen.  Added to everything we have been doing for safety, we now have to focus on how to respond to a potential bomb threat.  This came about because a neighboring district had 11 bomb threats in less than two weeks.

We already have all outside entrances locked except the front door.  Those areas are not readily visible even with security cameras and are not as secure as we would like them to be. However, they are as secure as we can make them without adding bars everywhere.  The bottom line, this is a place for children to learn and not a prison.

Our campus has not made a big deal of the tragedy to our students.  When concerns were brought up, we addressed direct questions, but did not dwell on the situation.  Our students need to feel safe and secure where they spend the majority of their day every week.  We are ever watchful, but we don’t want to alarm students with undue concern.

On top of everything, the news media is reporting unsettling recommendations for schools…armed guards, hand guns for all classroom teachers and administrators.  These are the two most frequent and controversial recommendations that keep coming to the forefront.  This is distressing and disturbing on many levels for educators, and I am not sure would prevent a gun tragedy if enacted. Personally, I think this could result in more casualties, trigger happy individuals, deaths from friendly fire…I could go on, but it has to stop somewhere.

With the focus on Sandy Hook and the tragic loss of children, teachers, and administrators our faculty and staff have been more aware of what a situation of this type would mean to us.  There have been constant hugs in the hallways, more “I love you’s” spoken between friends, genuine caring and concern for co-workers…even those who are not the touchy feely type are showing emotions that are unusual for them.   As a staff, we have a card signed and ready to send to the remaining staff and students of Sandy Hook Elementary when we know just where to mail it so we can show our support and concern.

Yesterday was the last day of the first semester, students went home early and teachers spent the remainder of the day finalizing grades, student folders, and the other details required of them to bring things to a close before leaving for Winter Break (yes, I will be PC here — but we all still call this time off ~ Christmas Break).  As individual staff members were able to leave, they sought out others for final hugs, ‘have a great holiday’, and I ‘love you’s’.  Sandy Hook has a long way to go before their healing can begin.  Our campus realized we had areas of dysfunction and a need for our own healing without anyone saying a word.

Out of tragedy, that healing has begun and hopefully will continue when we begin the new semester in January and 2013 begins.  During our time off, I will be reflecting on many things, many people, and many changes that have begun and will hopefully continue to bring our staff closer and create a healing of our own.  As I tell people all the time, change happens with ‘baby steps’.

My parting thoughts … Never forget those precious 26 lives that were lost during an unbelievable tragedy.  My constant prayer…is that something like Sandy Hook will never happen again to American citizens.

Brightest Blessings for the Holidays as each of you celebrate with your own individual and personal traditions. Peace and Love to all!
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So much has changed in a year for me personally.  I am now retired and loving every minute of being able to do what I want when I want.  I am writing more, posting two different blogs every day and sometimes a third when the mood strikes me.

What has not changed is the fact that mass shootings continued this year and nearly 1000 children between the ages of 2-12 have been killed … some by accident, some by murder, some by suicide, but even one death by easy access to a gun is one too many.


Copyright © 2013 Annie 
Always…I wish you peace, joy and happiness, but most of all I wish you Love.
As Ever, Annie

Poetry fills 
my Soul

Every heartbeat
is another word
on the page

Reading…
Writing…
Listening…

Poetry ~

Gives me the
Will to Live


Copyright © 2013 Annie – Original Poetry
Always…I wish you peace, joy and happiness, but most of all I wish you Love.
As Ever, Annie

Our hearts were 
heavy
As each took
their turn

Goodbyes are
Always
So Hard

But…
That last goodbye…
The final hug…
and Kiss
A sharing of 
a very special
Time
The most difficult

Time is limited
Peace has
been Made

We turn to go
Leaving…
to allow for
the next person's
Time

So hard
to 
Let Go

It was a
Beautiful Life


Copyright © 2013 Annie – Original Poetry
Always…I wish you peace, joy and happiness, but most of all I wish you Love.
As Ever, Annie

never fitting in
she stood on
the fringes
watching…
always
dreaming…


Copyright © 2013 Annie - Original Poetry
Always…I wish you peace, joy and happiness, but most of all I wish you Love.
As Ever, Annie

Rainbows bouncing 
through the ice
Decorating frozen
trees

The colors deceiving
danger cloaked in 
Beauty

She watches
And waits

The spell cast
her Majick working

Sipping tea
she stares through 
the kitchen window
trance-like

Until…
The first daggers
fall…
Danger averted

Back to her 
mundane world
dishes await


Copyright © 2013 Annie - Original Poetry
Always…I wish you peace, joy and happiness, but most of all I wish you Love.
As Ever, Annie

"Words are like tiny breaths
each one necessary to keep
the sentence alive…the thought
flowing to create the music 
of life …
Poetry."


Copyright © 2013 Annie - Original Poetry
Always…I wish you peace, joy and happiness, but most of all I wish you Love.
As Ever, Annie

Sarah was in charge of Christmas dinner for the first time since she married Pete.  Both sets of parents, assorted cousins, aunts and uncles, and a few friends would all be there for the big meal. She wasn't nervous about cooking for a crowd.  Sarah did that daily at the restaurant and was an accomplished chef.

What did have Sarah concerned were the pies.  She had been making her Mom's pecan pie for years…so that was safe.  But…Pete's mother had given her the family Pumpkin Pie recipe and that had her worried.  Poor Pete had been taste testing for two weeks and she still didn't have it right.  According to Pete, the crust was always perfect, but the pumpkin part was either too runny, too soft or too firm.  She had yet to reach that "just right" texture.

On Christmas day, everything was ready and the last thing to prepare was that damned pie.  Sarah did everything exactly as described on the recipe card, poured the pumpkin filling and crossed her fingers.  Just as she was taking out Rachel's pie from the over, her mother-in-law looked over her
shoulder.  "Oh, Sarah!" gasped Rachel.  "Your pie is just perfection!"


Copyright © 2013 Annie - Original Flash Fiction
Always…I wish you peace, joy and happiness, but most of all I wish you Love.
As Ever, Annie