It's a scary world out there

There was a stabbing this week at my former high school (video news story). I'm having a hard time moving on from it.

Monday afternoon, I logged in to facebook to find my feed filled with different links and updates about the story of the stabbing. I have friends with kids that attend the school. I have a high school senior at a different school, and two more that will be there someday. I have multiple friends who, like me, are former graduates that just can't believe this happened in our quiet little home town. This freaks me out.

Over the week I've read pretty much everything I can get my hands on about this story. I've read about the victims, one who almost died. I've read about the suspect, who had been planning to stab someone all weekend; she didn't care who. She said the victims were just "in the wrong place at the wrong time."

That's a tough one to swallow.

I read about the boys who heard the screams and ran into the bathroom to help. I can't get one of their comments out of my head; "I just don't ever want to hear a girl scream like that again." That makes me want to cry. This is a kid. He's only 17. That's just too much reality for someone that age. Well, for anyone really.

But I'm trying to push through the fear and the anguish and see the good things that have happened as a result of this tragedy. I found stories of other neighboring high schools dressing up in red, black and white (the high school colors) in a show of love and support.

 I found this video and story, about a playoff game that happened Friday night between Snohomish and Jackson high schools. All the students, from both schools, wore pink in honor of the victims. T-shirts were sold to raise money for the families. The cheerleaders, from both schools, wore pink to cheer their teams on, instead of their own school colors. I'm proud and overwhelmed.

And I read the letter from the Sheriff to the students and staff at the high school.

"Instead of anger and rage, I witnessed genuine concern for all involved."

That he took the time to write this, to tell them all how impressed he was with their strength and composure during the crisis, makes me proud to be part of this little town with the big heart. 

It gives me some hope, knowing that the students and are coming together to heal, that the families of the victims are together and trying to get back to normal. That they will all be able to grow and move on and be better people. That they have all learned to survive, and to keep moving forward.

It's a scary world for sure. But it is also a small world. As hard as this week has been for everyone in and surrounding this community, I'm so happy to see the silver lining. 

Most of all, I am happy to hear that April, the victim that almost died, is home with her family. Life will really go on. She's going to be okay. The community will be stronger. We will all move forward. And we will all stand just a little closer together.