VA Tech Tragedy

Yesterday I was saddened to hear the news of what happened at the campus of Virginia Tech. We live several hours east of the campus, but many of our local students attend. It’s one of the top three state schools, along with UVA and William and Mary. Even though I don’t have any friends or family there, I do have former students there. As a teacher, my heart goes out to the parents. I truly hope that none of “our kids” were hurt.

Even though they aren’t my flesh and blood children, I truly do care what happens to my former students. It’s fascinating to watch them grow up from sixth graders into adults (and slightly startling when you run into them at the drive through or in the working world). And there’s nothing more heart wrenching to learn when you’ve lost one of them.

I’ve taught in the neighborhood of a thousand children in my teaching career. Certain faces stand out more than others, but always, you think about them even when they’ve gone onto another grade level.

While I hope that no one I know was hurt, I know that there are 33 parents out there whose lives were irrevocably changed by this event. My thoughts are with them.