Thank You Chicago Police

We were caught at the wrong place at the wrong time.
We were stuck in the middle at the Chicago Navy Pier  4th of July Chaos!
This incident it has left a mark on us.... which will be hard to fade away. Especially in the mind of my 6 year old and 11 year old.

They were shaken up, but on the tough discussions, the one thing that stood out for them is the bravery of the Chicago Police. So they decided to write Thank You Letters.
With their permission here it is

My 6 year old, Little Lady

Dear police,

Thank you for keeping us safe from the bad guys. I was at navy pier on 4th of July 2019. I got scared when the crowd was running towards me. It was scary when I saw blood and people hurt.You were very brave.

                                      Thanks alot,

     

My 11 year old, Miss Chatterbox

                

Dear police,

     I am writing to you to say thank you. I was part of the chaos in Navy Pier on July fourth. Before that day, I used to get annoyed when in the night I would hear the high screeching sound of the police cars. Now, I feel safer when ever I hear that exact same noise. I got very scared when the big stampede started racing towards me and my family. Then, when the stampede died down, and you yelled with a gentle voice to duck, I did exactly that, knowing you would keep me safe. It was quite a relief that my mom and dad and sister where right there next to me. I admire your bravery when you yelled to duck, but stood up straighter yourself. That amount of braveness and courage is mind-blowing. When I was ducking, I was crying because I thought there was a criminal on the loose with a gun. I was relieved when I read the news saying that no shots were fired. There is one thing engraved in my head still- When a police came up to our scared family and said these exact words ‘ You can get up. It is safe.’. Once again thank you.

                 Sincerely,

                          

 Fate goes ever as fate must.- from Beowulf.                      

Their City Their Home

      

Is it a lone gunman, a mad driver or something else ?

Not the thoughts you want to have after a wonderful July 4th celebration with the kids and parents at Chicago's Navy Pier!

With family visiting from India, we decided to go to the Navy Pier to enjoy the fireworks. The 4 adults and 3 kids were plopped right by the water and a lovely picnic. At 9:30 the fireworks began and it was mesmerizing. We generally see this from afar, but watching the reflection on the water, with the songs and fireworks in synchronized fashion has its charm!

We clapped, enjoyed and after fireworks ended, decided to wait for the crowds to disperse. With the young kids and MIL, it would be easier. So we plopped on a bench and were just chatting about the display. My SIL and her daughter decided to go in the pier for a quick rest room pit stop.

Suddenly!
Yes suddenly we saw thousands of people running towards us screaming. We froze in our spots not knowing what was going on. We ducked behind the very bench we were sitting on. May be 30-60 seconds later, everyone just stopped. We stood up and said to our bystander, wonder what that was about! And then we see swarms of cops yelling at the crowds to "Get Down NOW, Take cover. "
And I slam dunked my 11 year old and 6 year old again on the floor. It just got more real. My MIL cannot sit on the ground, I see my husband just giving her cover with the back to the cops.

My girls are starting to scream and I really want them to be quiet, just in case "they" hear them.
One is below my arm and the other is holding my hand. Both are shaking and may be it was me also. I look at them and ask them to look at me. And just tell them "Sing Navakar" our daily chant.
I needed them to focus on as we hear screams around us. And that's what they did. Looking straight into my eyes with tears streaming down their cheeks. They just chanted and are curled up like little babies. I see Sumit and his mom as bend down as physically possible 5 ft. ahead. We lay there. And then 10-15 minutes pass by I think.
We see a cop come to us and tell us "IT IS SAFE, YOU CAN GET UP NOW"
The girls and I are frozen, he repeats and we stood up still unsure. There is a chaotic scene around us, but we stay focused on looking at him and Sumit and MIL with him.
He says "YOU NEED TO LEAVE NOW".
I say "NO WAY, I WILL STAY RIGHT HERE UNTIL THE REST OF MY FAMILY IS HERE" he looks at me stunned and stayed with us until my SIL and her daughter meet us.

Honestly, we had no idea what happened.
My first thought: "Not my kids"
My second thought: "Is a crazy car guy mowing down people"
My third thought: "Is a lone gunman being really really stupid"
My fourth thought: "Not my kids"

We looked around us, 10 feet from us, we see poodles of blood. Cops and paramedics with someone. I look at my daughters watching that and tears re-emerge.

My 6 year old cried and was like "Bad guys are here"
My 11 year old cried and was like "I am never leaving home again"
My 5 year old niece was just quiet and confused and looking around her.
And us, the four adults: Well were numb and the "what if's" started flooding the mind.
I held them close and talked to them all the way on the walk back to the car, we saw littered shoes, bags, glasses, tears and there was this silence in the crowd.

The kids slept with us that night, it took lots of talking, ice cream and honest and tough discussions to get them a "little normal" again.
Of course, I had to FORCE them to step out the next day for a bike ride and then slowly get normalcy back.
My girls and us are doing better now. We are still talking about it. It will always be their "normal" going forward and I DONT WISH it on anyone. I feel we got "lucky" but honestly not what i want to teach our kids. "It happens, just get lucky!" WHAT WORLD DO WE LIVE IN NOW

The girls wrote beautiful Thank You letters for the Chicago Police. Next post.. more to come