when reality is at your door

My second oldest daughter called me today with a horrifying phone call no mama wants to hear. “Mom, a guy is trying to break into my house! He is banging on the door and pushing against it!”

A month ago I wrote an article on AR Tactics in Charlotte NC about how that experience made room clearing and house safety bump up a higher notch on my priority list. Before that time we were banking on just self defense and firearms, not an actual plan per se.

That class mattered. The shoot house drill and the things I learned a week later mattered. This mattered. All this matters. Being able to execute quickly and efficiently matters. Having an ability to adapt and change with smart options if a plan goes awry matters. Taking steps to know what to do when your heart is racing and you are terrified wondering if you actually CAN protect your two small babies matters.

Ryan and I came home from Charlotte with a purpose. We talked about in the entire 14 hour drive home. He put that into practice while I was at ECQC by having the kids run intruder drills. With 7 kiddos that plan needs to be flawless especially knowing that nothing will necessarily go according to how we worked it out, but we can try and up our odds of survival. I talk to my older daughters constantly about what I learn in class and training weekends. I talk to them about my seminars and how they change with new knowledge. They are my sounding board for all my articles. I give them advice and things to look for when dealing with strangers, safety with children, and defending themselves and their home. When I had my shoot house experiences I told them about those too. I don’t know what other people converse over while drinking wine at home, but self defense is a rather common topic in our house.

If you are in a teaching/instructor position know this information trickles on. It’s passed and saves lives. Men and women come home from your workshop weekend or class and tell their loved ones what they gleaned and I am grateful for you.

I am eternally grateful for that time in the shoot house. I am grateful it put intruder situations in the forefront of my mind. I am grateful we talked about it so much as a family. I am grateful my daughter hesitated a few minutes before going to her car. I am grateful she listened to her gut telling her something was wrong. I am grateful my daughter immediately grabbed her babies and went to her back room. I am grateful she kept calm enough to call 911 first. I am grateful to that dispatcher who talked her through it. I am grateful for my daughter’s ability to see a license plate at the window which she was able to recite in detail. I am grateful she called me. I am grateful I knew enough to remind her to get her gun and barricade in her bedroom with the babies I am grateful that even though she was crying and scared she was able to safely get her gun and think. I am grateful she thought of access points in her room. I am grateful for my grandson who listened to his mom and even though he was hustled accidentally into the fridge while they were running to the bedroom he remained calm and asked immediately for his baby sister when he sat down in the shower. Gosh I am so grateful for those sweet babies. I am grateful for the Joplin Police Department’s quick response time. I am grateful for the sirens that scared the guy off the porch. I am grateful for that door he wasn’t strong enough to bust through. I am grateful the officer yelled through the door calmly to my daughter. I am grateful she waited until she saw it was the police before she put her gun up high on a shelf. I am grateful she told him she had a weapon. I am grateful he said, “Good.” I am grateful he was knowledgeable and compassionate to the situation that he angled himself properly with her gun in mind. I am grateful he was kind and understanding and assuring of all the things we have been taught. I am grateful the license plate matches description. I am grateful my son-in-law was able to race immediately home from his job to comfort his wife. I am grateful for his wit and steady tone. I am grateful for my happy/emotional/what if’s/scattered/on and off tears as I write this. I am grateful for my breath that keeps catching as I process this. I am grateful for Rodney Thompson at AR Tactics for thrusting that thought process to be imperative in my mind. I am grateful to Aaron Jannetti for sharing his knowledge in applying it to the civilian world. I am grateful for anyone that has poured into me on my personal protection journey. I am so so so so grateful it was passed on.

I am grateful the officer said, “you did exactly the right thing,” and I am grateful my daughter replied, “I called my mom.”

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#artactics 

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