Feeling the love...in the face of tragedy

 November 30th 2021 started with great promise as we leaned back into returning to a full week post Thanksgiving.  I recall the beautiful start to the day and got some great pictures of the frosty and yet sunny start to the day with our new puppy Marly.

My daily commute to my office in Oxford Michigan takes me through a beautiful section of North Oakland County and with the sun pushing through the day held great promise.  We were in the home stretch of one if the best years... no in fact... the best year of my 31 year career.  And so we all settled in to see what the day would bring.

My office is situated right up next to the newly rebuilt M24 or South Washington Street as it's called in the Village.  To say we don't get a good amount of traffic is an understatement.   Somewhere in the range of 40,000 cars a day pass to and from this quite little Village daily.  And so it is bit uncommon to hear a siren or two almost daily but for sure weekly from our local police, fire and EMS that support our community. 

As a parent you kind of trust that when you send your kids out the door and off to school that they will be well cared for. Generally and for normal circumstances this is true. However there are things going on in the lives of people around us that we as parents cannot always account for. 

And so when the first Oakland County Sheriff zipped past us we assumed it was just another routine traffic issue like any other day.  I remember even commenting to a colleague after a second one past that they were probably late for breakfast.   In that moment we could not imagine what had already taken place and was unfolding just a few blocks away in the hallways of our local Oxford High School. 

When the third and forth Oakland County Sheriff's vehicles passed.... no... raced past at not normal speeds the uneasiness began to settle in.   Now it was 3 police cars now coming from neighboring Lake Orion, followed by firetruck and EMS vehicles all racing north and in those moments your mind begins to piece together where this us all headed.  What is up that way? Wait... it's the high school.   Now it's 4 and then 5 unmarked cars racing by, more first responders pouring in and now Michigan State Police and more from our neighboring communities.  

By now we all turned to social media to try and find out what is happening.   Where else can you go to and find out?   I recall putting up a post asking if anyone knew what was happening north of town? We knew it was something really bad but what?  And so 15 minutes or so passed when one of TM's brought the news of an active shooter in the high school.   I had been texting with a client and tried to explain what was happening and he confirmed that he had gotten word of this in local news radio.  By now traffic on this busy road was at a complete standstill as first responders continued to pour into our community.  Now we heard the first EMS vehicle headed south an ambulance racing toward Pontiac with one of the injured.  Now I am getting text messages from my own daughter who is a senior at neighboring Lake Orion High.  They are now on lockdown for fear of what may or may not come there to... better safe than sorry. 

Text exchange 1:12 pm to 3:00 pm 

Active shooter at Oxford High School right now... at least 40 cops have flown and still flooding up here. Pray for safety for all. 

we are on lockdown.  shitting myself 

OK... FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS STAY PUT. 

Right now it's in Oxford... stay calm .

Kids are bring evacuated into meijers..Meijer... some still in school. Everything is fine in Lake Orion.

how do you know?

I don't but it's happening here.

this is scary

Stay calm... relax...I know it's stressful.  

i'm not going to work

Sorry this is going on Molly.  When did they round you up?

Are there any police patrols there?

in 4th hours

we can't leave

and i want to 

Best to stay put for now... follow instructions from your school.

i don't know if there is any police here

i can't leave

Just stay calm and try to relax.

like i can 

Marly will be waiting for you... I asked ### to check in on her. It's gonna be OK. 

okay they let's us leave coming home ASAP

can someone come home

i don't want to be alone lol

Do you want me to pick k u up.

what?

i'm already home

Marly is with you! Take her for a walk and clear your head.

Do you work?

Ok... was not clear. See you soon. 

I can come home after work I'm off at 5pm

Great... stop of you can 👍

Can someone cover. Maybe all the other kids are going to call off too.

yes i told him abt this i don't want to go bc i have so much stress right now and he said to ask someone to cover doesn't even ask if i'm ok or anything 

It will be OK Molly. Maybe going to work will help take your mind off things.  

not going to school

Ok... we can talk about it. Are you at the prayer vigil? 

no the kensington thing starts at 7

OK... Just let us know where your at.

kk... hang out for a while... check in though. 👍