My Hero.

I don't write too much about my family. They may or may not know about what I do here, but they didn't offer their lives to the internet so I try not to put too much out here beyond the occasional occurance or annoyance. Tonight I feel compelled to write a little more than that.

My sister is a teacher. Last year a young girl was murdered at her school. Today that child's father was convicted of the crime. My sister testified at that trial and helped put this criminal where he belongs.

I learned several things through her experience. I learned that when a school calls a lockdown, the teachers don't necessarily know what is going on and they are scared. My sister hid in a storage room with her class for a very long time because they did not know what was going on and she was not willing to risk them by checking when she heard noises in the room outside. They sat together, she and the children, in the dark until the principal came over the loud speaker and asked them to come out because they couldn't find them.

She comforted children and parents as best she could while she too suffered the pain and shock of the loss. It hurt the school and the community deeply. She has worried all this time since that justice should be served.

When the subpoenas came some witnesses wouldn't answer their doors. But my nephew did and suddenly my sister was involved in the trial. She didn't want to, she didn't seek it out but she did what she had to do. She and the other witnesses from the school comforted and supported each other. The little guidance they got from the prosecution came quite late. Mostly they had only their own strength and fears. In the end they prevailed.

There's a saying that says something about evil will prevail when good men do nothing. This wasn't one of those times. It was scary and emotionally painful but she did it. Tonight as many other times, she's my hero.