Get ready to get emotional. Think back to when you first heard about the Florida school shooting at the Stoneman Douglas High school. Do you remember your first gut reaction? Shine – a Song of Hope and love.
- Anxiety?
- Anger?
- Pain?
- Sorrow?
Now IMAGINE what it must have been like for the students that were there amid bullets flying, chaos and utter terror. Innocent lives were lost and changed forever on that day. Fellow classmates and a coach were among the victims. Additionally, many other people were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Finally, the perpetrator was someone that they knew from school.
You would think that would be the perfect recipe for lost hope.
But not for these students.
“Shine” – a Song of Hope
These young people are special. The Stoneman Douglas High School Drama Club wrote a beautiful song to describe their feelings called, “Shine.” Believe it or not, it is addressed to the shooter & it expresses their determination to not give up hope.
Look closely at some of the lyrics to the song, Shine – a Song of Hope below.
You may have hurt us.
But I promise we are not going to let you in.
We’re putting up a fight.
You may have brought the dark but together we will shine a light.
And we will be something special.
We’re going to shine, shine.
We refuse to be ignored by those who will not listen.
There are so many things you can do to become involved.
Reach out to your congressmen, mail, call and tweet.
The smallest of words can make the biggest difference.
Be the voice for those who don’t have one.
Together we have the power to change the world around us.
We’re going to stand tall.
Be the voice for those who don’t have one.
In conclusion, Shine – a Song of Hope is inspirational, isn’t it? Perhaps, you were moved to tears as many were when listening to the song. It’s understandable, because we all need hope for a better future. Not a bitter one.
High school should be a time for fun, sports, learning and friends.
Unfortunately, we live in a world of anger and hostility at times. However, after watching this video, you can see we also live in a world of hope and dreams too. The question is which world will we choose to live in? While we can’t change the haters, we certainly can SHINE, can’t we?
Mental health professionals tell us that many school aged children are under a lot of stress due to the fear of school shootings. We invite you to watch this video with your children. Use it as an opportunity for them to open up and talk to you because many have fears about violence in school. Finally, discuss how you both can “Shine”, stand tall and use your “power to change the world around us.” Help your children and students to see how they can make a difference. One way to do this is to teach our kids to be grateful.
