Excellent points, Orema!

I put the trigger warning out there because some of our members have experienced gun violence in one way or another directly or have had family or friends experience it. Although the ad centers on school shootings, I thought that sometimes any connection to the traumatic event could be hurtful to someone.

I think the point of the ad comes in the final line of text at the end. School shootings are preventable. There have been several cases in which a concerned school employee or a parent have spoken to authorities about unsettling posts or comments made by someone and police have been able to stop school shootings before they happen.

Also, I think it shows what kids face when this situation comes up and maybe even ways to help them survive it. I can't say for sure that I'd think to make a tourniquet out of a sock. I'd probably waste time looking for a belt or rope.

You raised a good point, too, about how the mother would feel knowing the reason she is getting that potentially final text from her daughter.

We're so callused and jaded that it takes something incredibly shocking and in your face to catch our attention. The ad succeeds in doing what it set out to do; to wake us up and start a dialogue. I learned about it off of the Today show. The real work comes in figuring out how to fix the problem.

I've been keeping busy planning a big combination birthday party for my mother, my sister in law, and my younger nephew. Mostly doing the planning has kept me from feeling missing my brother too much but there were some bumps this week. Looking at cards for my mother, my sister in law and nephew and seeing ones that I know my brother would have given them if he was still here. And today just putting the final touches on the party. My brother should have been there putting it together with me. I rallied and the party was wonderful. But getting there was a bit hard on me.

A former boss of mine was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. It hurt to hear him tell me about it because he has been my hero twice in life. I couldn't cry when he was telling me about it, but after I left, the other day, tears were streaming down my face.

Last night I saw a kid dragging a several month old puppy. The choker strap was tight around the neck of the puppy, and I watched the puppy whimper and cower due to the cruel treatment by the kid. Most likely, the kid's parents are being mean and cruel to the puppy too.

It made me cry.

I called and made a report to the metro area hotline for animal cruelty and mistreatment.
Hopefully they will respond before too long.

Paying it forward
 

I went to Walmart's supermarket this morning to pick up some scallions and frozen burgers. A woman comes up to me while I"m in the self-service checkout and asks me how I'm paying for this. I tell her a debit or credit card, thinking she works at Walmart and is gonna tell me it's cash only (or something along those lines). She then asks me if she can pay it forward by paying for my two items. I ask her name (Sherice), tell her yes, and thank her for her generosity.

The tears start flowing as I exit the store. A woman smiles at me as we pass (she has on a mask but I see the smile in her eyes). I stop her, tell her what just happened to me, and ask her if she would let me pay it forward by accepting a five-dollar bill. She accepts it, thanks me, and we go on about our day.

Lucky me.

:bow:

Tears of joy...
 

Justice for George Floyd. God is good.

There were many tears of justice today! Thank god!

I had a client today who told me about their Clown List. LMAO. I laughed so hard that I ended up in tears because his rationale about who makes it onto his Clown List was so heartbreakingly true.

Big cry was last Thursday. Cried for hours. Today wasn't really a cry just a few tears rolling down my cheek as I climbed up in my truck after picking up Skippy's ashes. I sure miss my boy.

Just thinking about how much I’m still suffering from having had Covid19. I’ve not been right since and the doctor says I probably never will be the same

Hum thinking of mom did it and life generaly how much i feel like it's going nowhere depressing

Broke my wrist Sunday. Have cried each day since. Absolutely miserable pain. Then the ortho got the cast too tight so that adds pain. Can't fix it until tomorrow

It's Been 4 weeks since Scouty passed away
I wake and think its a nightmare n then realise she's gone
I can't seem to get my shit together

It;s terrible to say my cousin hung himself 3 days before Scout died,but Scouts passing is crippling me.

I don't even want to see people,or talk to anyone

I know ppl think she was just a dog

She was my everything,having cancer,I had even set up a trust for her,so her medical n food would be covered,if I died.

I cry most of the time n just drug myself of a night

I feel her death has broken me

She was so phisically healthy
To have dementia but be si fit for 11.5 yrs,feels so unfair

Realizing that the thoughts I had were true. I just dont understand why ppl have to lie.

Finding out I was just being used to repair her house and once that was done she was done with me.

While at the lake today, memories of my sweet, old furbaby and how much he loved to camp and enjoy his time at the lake. He was such a sweet, good boy.

I didn't cry in real time, but I cried in my dreams today? Sometimes there's just no escaping.