Orlando Strong

Among our chaos of Saturday morning with two young children, on vacation in Orlando for The Family Cafe. I had briefly saw a headline on social media about the shooting at a local concert. I read the details, I was sad and shocked thought what a tragedy at the Plaza.orlando stong

Then, we are packing up our hotel for late 1pm check out Sunday morning, We turned on the T.V. to turn cartoons for the kids. That’s when I saw a breaking news headline flash I was instantly sickened to my stomach to think just one night before Christina Grimmie had a horrific tragedy, and Today this horrific scene, both of which our hotel was very close to less than 3 miles from. I then saw the helicopters overhead. I realized that nobody could make sense of that had happened yet it was all such a blur. Social media was going crazy with anyone and everyone wanting to know if you are okay and if your friends were okay. Facebook asking you to let your friends and family know your alive if you were in the vicinity. Our eyes glued to the T.V. in the hotel as we check to see if our friends were okay. I was glued to my phone on our drive home seemed like forever but just an hour and 45 minutes and we were home. I literally thinking that it can’t be real.

orlando unitedOn Monday, friends and family asking if anyone knew anyone that had been affected. We read news report after news reports still just trying to make sense of it all. Social media was crazy with posts about the victims – the latest updates, as they begun to release names of the victims. Local businesses were offering various comforts, food, hotels to those in need. Signs on the roads showed hashtags – #orlandostrong, #orlandounited, #morelovelesshate. The local radio stations were there for their listeners they could call in to say whatever they needed to say. I read about the donations that were flowing in from businesses all over. I saw locals giving blood all over Florida. Flordia was standing united to do what we could do to ease the pain.

Then tragedy at Disney. As if this week couldn’t get any worse. I was on my way home from the store and heard on the radio a horrifical story about what could have happened to this young boy at a Disney Resort. I needed to know. We go to Disney so often, I know gators go anywhere there wild animals they go where they want.
I hadn’t cried, I hadn’t shed any tears. That day I had enough it was built up and Disney was the icing on the cake I couldn’t take any more bad, my awful meter was full. I broke down and cried, My 6-year-old asking “mommy what wrong?” I’m having to try to explain to her hunny bad things happen that we can’t stop. It was all just too much for me. I couldn’t imagine those suffering the loss of their friends and family. What they must be feeling.

We all want the same thing. No matter where we live, our religion, or even how we feel about guns. We all just want our family and friends to be safe. We just want to protect our children from harm .This past week has affected everyone around the globe.The one thing I do know is we need to support each other. We all just can’t imagine what the families are experiencing with their loss.pulse victims.jpg

3 Comments Add yours

  1. What happened in Orlando was heinious . No words can describe the horrors of what went throught the hearts and minds of the people in Orlando. I hope you and your kids were fine?

  2. Ms.Eriksson says:

    I lived in Paris during the terror attack in November 2015. I know how you felt. I was safe but knew what was going on not far from me. It was scary and surreal.

  3. What a well written account. So happy you made it through safely.

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