‘I didn’t want to drop her off today.’: Mom reacts to Uvalde school shooting

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“*Sigh.*

Today feels insanely heavy. We have a crisis America is faced with and yet can’t seem to figure it out.

I didn’t want to drop her off today.

After crawling into our bed at 4 a.m. this morning, I watched Charlotte drift back to sleep, clutching her Anna doll. She seemed so small, so innocent; thankfully unaware of the horror that is happening.

Brushing her hair this morning, I noticed her little beauty mark next to her eye, same place as Grandma Dee’s. I noticed her hair lightening and a little tan going on, thanks to the daily sunshine.

As we pull up to drop off and she jumps out (but not before several kisses to Evy and myself), I am just sick to my stomach. Thank goodness I wear big shades, because I was holding back a dam of tears.

It shouldn’t be this way. No parent should feel anything other than safe when having their children in school. It’s a half past 10 a.m. here in Boise, and I’m restlessly waiting for noon so I can walk over to pick her up.

Nineteen young children and 2 teachers lost their lives yesterday. And I love Jesus, but thoughts and prayers are just not enough. What are we going to do about it? When will it stop?

This is America.”

Mom takes a photo of her elementary school-aged daughter sitting in the back seat on the way to school
Courtesy of Ashley Young

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Ashley Young. You can follow her journey on Instagram. Submit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.

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‘Tell me this is all a dream and we will wake up laughing about how crazy this nightmare is.’: Mom’s gut-wrenching reaction to Uvalde school shooting

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