Got My Wheels Spinnin'

When I was young, my friends and I liked to hang out at the roller skating rink...especially during our teenage years. The skating rink was the SPOT.

We had two that we'd frequent. World On Wheels in L.A., and Skate Depot in Cerritos. Both are now closed.

But the past time of roller skating is alive and well. My 22 year old daughter goes weekly. Unfortunately, the closet spot is in Orange County. So...that's where EVERYBODY goes now.

Last night I sent her a text to see what she was up to and she told me that she was out skating with friends. I told her to be safe (as I always do...just 'cause that's what us Moms do) and went to sleep.

Well I woke up this morning to find out that there was a shooting at the skating rink where she was. Everyone was searched over a three hour period as the police looked for the shooter (which they never found.)

Thankfully, my daughter and her friend were safe. But it made me wonder about a few things.

When did we come such a VIOLENT society?

When I was younger, my friends and I hung out "without incident." The worst that would EVER happen was a possible FIST fight. But all this gun violence??? When did that start?

I sometimes wonder if the best years for being young ENDED when I was young.

I think about my 18 year old son now and how UNSAFE it is for him to even walk down the street as a young male Black.

To the police, he's a threat.
To other young men his age, he's a threat.
As his MOTHER, I know that he's not a threat to EITHER.

He is a law-abiding citizen with a good head on his shoulders...but you'd have to actually KNOW him to KNOW that. The Police and random young men my son's age, DON'T know him. So for that reason, I must keep him CONSTANTLY covered in PRAYER.

Texting my daughter, instinctively telling her to be safe, and then seeing how close she was to danger also made me even more aware of the fact that we just never know when our communication with someone will be the last.

Thankfully, that wasn't the LAST communication for us. But for those friends and families of the victims in Orlando last month...it was. Or for the friends and family who've been victims of mass shootings...for them, it was. And for those who've texted loved ones as they're leaving work at the end of the day, "On my way home. Love you."...yet ended up in a fatal car accident. For those folks, that was their LAST communication. There are so many other examples that I could list.

Bottom line is this, we just never know. And that's all the more reason to LOVE each other while we can...because we simply don't know how long we will have them, or they us.

So on this "30 Days of THANKFULNESS: Day 23" - I am THANKFUL that God has allowed me another day to tell my kiddos that I love them.

Now it's YOUR turn. Let the DIALOGUE begin: When was the last time you went roller skating?

While you think about that, here's a song for ya!


Talk to me!

Til next time...