I’ve always believed that writing leads us to discover things about ourselves that we did not previously know. Writing here on a daily basis has pushed me to write about things that — not long ago — I might have just contemplated in nothing more than a passing thought.

My, those thoughts of late have been anything but just passing through, and I hear ripples of it stirring the thoughts of others as well, which I always hope to do on some broader scale with my readers.

Last night’s post is no different, and I am grateful for 1) the wonderful comments that everyone has left — both here and on Facebook; and 2) the expressions of curiosity, of wondering how to get more involved, and of finding ways to make a greater difference in our communities.

Earlier today, an alum of our school (I was never formally his teacher, but somewhere along the way, we became friends) stopped by my room. He had read last night’s entry, and he had several comments to share (I’ve invited him to share them on this blog in the comments section for last night’s post). He has extensive knowledge in search-and-rescue procedures and how local, state, and national emergency systems establish such programs. What I found most intriguing about our talk was his genuine desire to find a way to help others in need, most specifically referring to the situations that I presented yesterday, where two teens and one young adult were abducted because they chose to get into the cars of strangers. He believes there are answers, systems we can put in place, ways to diminish the lag time between when the call comes in and when the appropriate authorities are on the case trying to find the suspects and rescue the people in need.

I believe in him. He is young, intelligent, and genuinely committed to helping others in both proactive and reactive manners. It’s the kind of conversation I needed to have today, and he, right alongside everyone else, told me that there are ways to help out, strategies to improve education and awareness, and procedures that can happen after a crime’s been committed.

So let us allow our actions to speak louder than our words. Let us find small and large ways to make a difference. Let us push through the waves of apathy and even insensitivity that we find all around us and keep our focus straight and narrow on the tasks before us.

It’s never easy. It’s often exhausting. But I can’t think of a single better thing to do with my time than making sure our children are safe.

Thank you again for your comments and your proclamations. All are appreciated so very much!