In February and March, the world started to unravel again. 14 students and 3 teachers were shot in Parkland, FL. Two teenagers from Wilmington, DE died, one by suicide. Another school shooting occurred 150 miles from my school. While I didn’t have answers for how to help students navigate these tragedies, I tried to listen and understand. Eventually I encouraged the students to stand together on the platforms of love and unity by writing the below social contract. 263 of our students (40% of all students) signed this contract along with teachers and administrators. It seemed to help. Over the next 2 weeks I will share some letters I wrote to help me process all of these difficult events that lead to the creation of The Loving Lives Revolution.
Social Contract:
While the Parkland shooting is frightening and devastating, I refuse to allow my life to be overpowered by fear, anger, or helplessness. I understand that there are many factors in this world that I cannot control, but I will not let these outside factors define what my life is about. When I am scared, I will reach out to friends, family, and other adults who can support me to borrow their courage to face my daily challenges with an open heart and open mind. When I am strong, I will provide support and friendship for anyone who needs it. When confronted by adversity, I will join hands with others in my community to face these difficulties together. When a community member offers an opposing opinion from my own, I will listen with an open mind, share based on my best understanding, and unite over the common goal of love. I know that we can build a healthy and inspiring future for our community if we work together. Every day, I will invest my energy into creating a positive future full of optimism, compassion, and innovation for the benefit of all people.
Loving Lives Delaware 