You never think it's going to be you until it is. You never foresee tragedy ripping apart the lives of yourself and those around you until it happens.
In my small community, claimed to be one of the safest in the state of Florida, gun violence was the last thing on everyone's mind. Unfortunately, this is always how the story goes. Now, a year later, Parkland is another small town that's gained notoriety through a senseless act of gun violence and courageous victims that are speaking out and marching for their lives.
Just over one year ago, a mass shooting rocked our community and resulted in 17 deaths, 17 injured people, and an army of grieving patrons.
On that fateful day, and the days to follow, it seemed as if a dark cloud loomed over Parkland and Coral Springs. Since then, there have been countless vigils, therapy sessions (with the dogs of course), commemorative events, and even donation pages/collections benefitting the families or scholarship funds being created in memoriam of the deceased victims. All of this was done to honor the victims, yes, but it was also a healing mechanism for those of us that were grieving a huge loss in our community.
Seventeen bright souls from all walks of life are now one year gone.
To remember the lives of those athletes, future military members, parents, children, students, and staff, many different types of remembrance ceremonies were held all over the country. A day supposed to be so full of love and celebration was filled with grief and horrible flashbacks for so many people, especially those of us that were in our community on that fateful day.
I personally attended a vigil that was put on by a survivor and throughout this wonderful ceremony, I couldn't help but think about the great strength shown by all of the students that were at Stoneman Douglas High School just one year prior. Though I live in the community, I was fortunate enough to not be at MSD on February 14th. However, many family friends and personal friends of mine were not only at MSD that day but were also in the 1200 building where the shooting took place- some even in classrooms that were terrorized.
I commend ALL of the Stoneman Douglas students immensely, as they took this tragedy and turned it into a wake-up call for the American public.
A select group of students started a movement I'm sure many of you have heard of, March For Our Lives (MFOL). This movement is now a worldwide effort fighting for common sense gun laws and regulation completely created and led by MSD students and alumni who are survivors of the tragedy. Some of my personal friends are founding members of MFOL and in the wake of a tragedy they were lucky enough to survive, they took to the government to tell them that they have had enough.
The hashtag #NeverAgain went viral within a few days of the tragedy and became very popular along with the slogan "We Call BS" coined by Emma Gonzalez in a very powerful speech. Since these occurrences, they have planned tours, walkouts, and most notably marches to advocate for their cause.
The March For Our Lives took place in Washington D.C. on March 24, 2018, just over a month after students and faculty had been hiding in classrooms, fleeing an active shooter, and mourning great loss from our community. Hundreds of sister marches took place all over America and this was a huge turning point in their fight.
However, through all of the events, marches, therapy sessions, and so much more, the Parkland community is still healing. Many survivors are dealing with PTSD and were not able to return to Douglas to complete their schooling. Others become triggered when they see Valentine's Day decor or hear loud and unexpected sounds. Personally, it is very hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that this horrible event actually happened not close to home, but at home. Thus, one year later, we are still #MSDStrong, Parkland strong, and working together as a community to heal and make a change for ourselves and to honor those that we lost.
