A Teenager's Upsetting Response To Her Mom's 'I Love You' Text 'Crushed Her Mama's Heart'
Her daughter's response was a devastating reality check about living in America.
@gen3raleducation / TikTok A mom's revelation of the sad response she received from her daughter after texting her has people pointing out that this is the reality of living in America.
In a TikTok video, the mother, Shari, told viewers that she was left speechless after hearing how concerned her 13-year-old daughter had been to receive, what Shari assumed, was a harmless text that she had sent. The teenager's despairing response left many people feeling emotional about the state of this country.
Her daughter thought something had happened to her mom after receiving an 'I love you' text from her.
In Shari's video, she explained that she was working at the office while her daughter had been at home by herself since she was on summer break. At some point during the day, Shari decided to text her daughter, "I love you," just to let her know that she had been thinking about her.
"Then I got up to go take care of something. I came back and I had two missed text messages saying, 'Are you okay?'" Before Shari could even read the second message, her phone started to ring as a call from her daughter was coming through.
When she answered the phone, her daughter again asked what was going on, and if her mom was okay. She assured her daughter that she was fine before asking why she was so worried, and the teen proceeded to tell her that she shouldn't have sent the "I love you" text without any context.
"She goes, 'That's what you send when you're in trouble, like a school shooting,'" Shari recalled of her daughter's response. Becoming emotional at her daughter thinking she had been involved in a mass shooting, Shari remarked that she couldn't even tell her daughter that she loved her without her mind automatically going to the worst-case scenario.
Unfortunately, this is the reality that many people in America, especially young children, are fearful of.
According to the American Psychological Association, more than 79% of adults in the U.S. say they experience stress as a result of the possibility of a mass shooting.
Additionally, nearly 32% of adults feel they cannot go anywhere without worrying about being a victim of a mass shooting, while just about the same number (33%) say fear prevents them from going to certain places or events.
In the comments section, people related to the devastating reality of having constant fear while living in America.
"The trauma these children have been put through with active shooter drills. The results are gonna be horrible. They should all be getting therapy now," one TikTok user wrote.
Another user added, "My daughter is away at college. I send her a 'Good Morning' every day & she says 'Good Morning' back so we know we’re both okay."
"This is just so heartbreaking and so true... I would feel the same way if my mom just sent those three words [because] texts are never just those words," a third user chimed in.
It's no surprise that many people feel deeply anxious and fearful about the possibility of either being involved in a mass shooting or it happening to their loved ones, especially with how prevalent these tragic events have happened in recent years.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.