When I woke up I read the news. Somehow I knew it was going to be bad. I’m not sure how I knew, but it was there. I tossed and turned the night before. Sleep came in fits and I wondered how it could happen.

When my youngest asked, I told them what happened. They were afraid. Afraid for themselves, their friends, and I suppose their brother as well.

The world changed, or at least this country did. It wasn’t overnight. It’s always been here. But it hid in the darker places. Now it was in the open again. Now the hate had a purpose. Now the rage was higher. The bigotry and racism had a name. It was given purchase that we offered it like a ragdoll in a dollar store.

Hold them close. Keep them safe. Don’t let the darkness muddy their light.

The light is where we should be but the darkness is coming. It’s finding its way through to take the last of us. It’s in the dark we must come and hide. At least for a little while.

There’s going to be darkness for a while. It’s going to be as bad as we’ve been told. As bad as we’ve believed. Don’t let it darken their souls. Don’t allow it to change who they are. Protect them and keep them safe.

Today, is another day. Tomorrow is something else.