We Can't Forget. I Won't Forget.

Meet Kyle Laman. We share the same family name, but I've never had the pleasure of meeting him. Not yet, anyway.  Kyle is 15 years old, and thank God, he is one of the survivors of the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida...


You see, too often we...I...hear about horrible tragedies. We see them covered on the news, and we're affected by them. I am affected by them. I remember where I was, and what I was doing on 9/11. I think many of us do. I was glued to the TV, and for days, I wept, feeling numb and hopeless.  I remember Sandy Hook. I remember watching those faces of those beautiful children and feeling and imagining the pain of their families. As a mom, as a human being, I think that's what you do when tragedies like these strike. But then, sadly, we forget.  Life happens. And we move on. I moved on.

Then Parkland happened. Then Kyle happened...

There's this thing called "ignorance is bliss." The idea that if we don't acknowledge...say a homeless person, or a person begging on the side of the road, then we'll somehow feel better about ignoring them. That if those things or those people are "invisible" to us, then we won't have to deal with them, feel bad about them. I'm guilty of this. Human nature is guilty of this, I think.

And so I believe it's important to see Kyle. To put a name to a face. To know about what happened to him and the victims of yet another tragedy. He's not just a name. He was a happy teenager who, unfortunately, lived out a nightmare in a place where these things aren't supposed to happen. You see one of the bullets tore through Kyle's ankle and foot, requiring surgery, and a two week hospital stay. The road ahead is no doubt going to have some challenges.

This is Kyle on the day he was released from the hospital. Look at that smile! I know that children are very resilient, I know that his family is a great source of strength and support, and I pray that he will be okay.



Because of Kyle, and especially because of him, I've talked with my students about what happened, and we've gone over what to do (again) in the event that the unthinkable happens. I've encouraged them to trust their instinct, to be the eyes and ears of our school, and to tell an adult if they suspect anything or anyone that could cause any harm.

Because of Kyle.

We can't forget. I won't forget.