It was one of those early March mornings. Cloudy, cool, with a light drizzle that makes the whole drop off line feel a little quieter.
Same routine. Same early crew. The on time and early crowd, like the nerdy do gooders we are.
As I pulled up, the school resource officer from the county police department was out there near the crosswalk. I wave at him every day. Nothing more than that. But this morning it made me stop and think about something I actually think about a lot.
First off, he is a really good dude.
The kids hop out and he greets them with a huge smile. High fives, fist bumps, all of it. You can tell he genuinely likes being there. He is not just standing around looking serious. He is integrated into the school. Teachers know him. Kids know him. He is part of the morning rhythm.
And on a deeper level, it is also a reminder of the world we are raising kids in.
Our school has this big graphic on the outside with the mascot and school name. It looks like decoration. But it is really there so someone cannot see into the cafeteria. The kids still get sunlight, but you cannot just look in from the outside.
When you really think about why that is necessary, it is terrifying.
It took me back to a couple years ago after that school shooting in Texas. Back when my oldest was the only one in school. I remember taking him to drop off that morning and feeling a level of fear I was not prepared for.
Like, what am I doing?
There were parents who pulled into a drop off line just like this one and their kids did not come home. And I remember sitting there thinking about those families and feeling emotional. Full transparency, I had tears in my eyes. Not because I was going to stop living life. Not because I was going to teach my kid to be afraid of everything.
But because it is heavy. And it is real.
And I remember watching the officer walk across the drive and thinking he has no idea what that does for parents. Just him being there, doing his job, steady and present, takes the edge off. It makes you feel like your kid is safe. Even if it is just a little bit.
That is what hit me this morning.
I have never talked to him beyond a wave. He will probably never know the impact he has. But I feel grateful for what he does, not only for the kids, but for the parents too. Especially the parents who are trying to keep it together while sending their whole world into a building and driving away.
Takeaway: The world feels heavy sometimes, but the people who show up consistently are what keep a community steady.
What about you? Do you ever have those moments in the drop off line where something small hits you and you realize how much you are carrying around in the background?